Reviews

Time travel drama.....with a twist.

I really enjoyed watching this drama. Unlike many time travel dramas ,the FL time traveled with her entire family, and they decided to stay in that time period.
Great chemistry between the FL and ML.
Li Yun Rui is not just a handsome face, his acting has definitely progressed with each drama.
I enjoyed the quirky personalities of her family and how they all cared for each other.
When the ML found out who was behind his parents deaths, I had mixed emotions due to the fact that despite having murdered his family he took him in and actually cared for him like a son.
The romance between the ML and FL was very slow burn, but name a Chinese drama where they don't kiss for the first time after episode 25! But at least in this drama, the FL had a reason why she kept rejecting the ML.

So many people did not like the ending. I didn't mind it and here's why....
It was heart wrenching that they finally got together and the FL and her family realize that this is the point where according to history they die. The unexpected part is that we continue to see what the ML goes through once they are gone, it was so sad!! But it made me think of how in real life, went we visit historical places, I realize that I am walking into a place that used to be someones home, but their memories and existence are forgotten. Man the tears came flowing.

Now in present day the FL is the only one who remembers, so she starts to think that it was all a dream....until the very last scene, she meets the present day ML and he tells her he had a dream about her too.
That to me made all the difference, because if the ML also didn't remember her, then it would feel like it was for nothing, but he did remember her.

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a woman's pain

Thinking about this overnight, I found a useful way to frame this. I don't know how many here might be willing to hear it but perhaps a few might.

Even though this is series length (12 episodes x 1 hour), it's very much lakorn. And it does have the multiple connected stories of a lakorn. Most are highly abbreviated and cliched - a royal family of a fictional country, a high ranking family in debt, and so on. But two are so tightly interlinked they've become a single narrative.

So separate out the romance between men and Pin's story for a moment. Don't see Pin's story as just another obstacle for the men. It is much more than that. Consider, for a moment, the role they play in hers.

She is a very young woman with little experience who has somehow managed to maintain a cheerful, optimistic outlook despite her parents. Her fairytale prince turns out to be gay but she's left to discover it on her own and in a cruel way. The day before their wedding. Everyone else is caught up in their own messes and the only person in the world who loves her has betrayed her. It wasn't intentional from him, but Sasin did. Not by falling in love with her prince but by conspiring with the prince to prevent their marriage and keeping her in the dark about it. Excusable perhaps a couple of months before the wedding, but when it's imminent? This is her life they're messing with, she deserved to know and be given a chance to understand and come to terms with it all.

She deserved to be included in the plans, both as their close friend/nong sao and as someone whose life will be directly and significantly influenced by their actions. They're deciding all of this for her.

She acts out of her own pain, struggling to prioritise her own needs - because no one else will. By the time Rachawadee has caught on and tries, Pin isn't in a place where she can hear it - she is young, inexperienced and in more pain than she can grasp, how could it get worse? The older woman's words are there to guide her in understanding when she is.

If this had been written as a full length lakorn, perhaps it would be easier for international BL fans to recognise Pin's story as its own thing. Did many grasp how much of Khun Chaai/To Sir With Love is really about women struggling for agency within the strictures society imposed on them? If that conversation happened, please point me to it.

Even with the short space Pin's story is given, it is well developed. The best in this small lakorn, with some of the best acting and writing. The moments when she cries, when she's juggling both her own pain, the loss of her dream, and her love for her dear cousin, her friend Saenkaew, and her heartfelt wishes for their happiness. That was all so well done. Much appreciation for Perth's delivery.

If you're open to seeing it, this is the beating heart of the lakorn.

If you doubt this, consider for a moment this insight from Inquisitive in the comments - it is the women who get things done while the men complicated it all. Over and over again.

To be frank, the romance between the men was overloaded with cliches. There is better BL and there are better lakorn romances, perhaps it is the combination of the emotional intensity of lakorns with BL which has so many enamoured with it? Or maybe it's just that they hit the right notes for soft focus women's romantic fantasies well enough? It was good, but superlative? Not for me. Peak is an excellent actor of course, when the director allows, and Pearl has enough charisma to power the entire cast of a uni BL. That carried a lot.

I've rated story and acting lower than many will like because the first half is sub-par. Which has to be on the director, with that many experienced actors performing under their abilities. Fortunately it picks up in the latter half. I'd rate higher for that but I can't ignore the beginning.

If you're heading to smash the NO button, may I invite you to set that reaction aside for a moment to mull over this different point of view for a wee while. It's not the norm for international BL fans but it is very much in keeping with the way Thai lakorns do things and it is absolutely right there in this lakorn for those who are open to seeing it.

There are two central stories here - one is a romantic fantasy between men. The other is about a young woman's pain and her journey through it. She deserves a moment amongst all the adulation for the men to have that recognised.

Even if, especially since, BL too often tells us that women should take a back seat to the men and prioritise their happiness, finding our own in theirs. We matter too.

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A story of you and the world you live in

Filter was such a pleasant surprise. It wasn’t flashy or dramatic; it felt real. From the first episode, I was drawn in by how grounded everything was: the makeup, the conversations, even the conflicts. There weren’t any over-the-top villains or forced twists, just people trying to figure themselves out and learn to love without losing who they were.

Both main couples had amazing chemistry. Their relationships grew so naturally that nothing felt scripted, just honest and warm. What I loved most was how the show handled each character’s growth. Tang Qi’s clumsiness, Su Chengcheng’s insecurities, Lin Yuan’s quiet pain, and Gu Yu’s brave front all felt like reflections of real emotions people hide or grow through.

The writing and production weren’t loud, but that’s what made Filter stand out. It didn’t try to impress; it just told a story with heart. For me, it became one of those dramas that stayed with me long after it ended gentle, genuine, and full of feeling.

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Warm Cozy Family Comedy with culinary delights!

Just finished watching this drama, although the title says yummy x3 this is not solely focused on food at all.The balance in the storyline was very good,combining warmth of family, time travelling, coziness of food, a little bit of Palace politics and found families in between, blended with some really good comedies which didn’t feel like over-the-top or forced for the audience.

As i watched this drama ongoing, everyday felt like a happy journey experiencing shen family in the yunshui manor with Lin yan,whom they've thought to be the ancestor of their family tree but turned out to be totally wrong later. Li Yun Rui as Lin Yan & wang ying lu as Shen Jicai are absolutely amazing in Their roles,and surprisingly all the cast members from side characters to guest roles are stunning in their acting performances,censor pei fei, Mr. cao,liu chang,the chef that arrived later,I've found myself attached to almost all the characters in the drama, even Prince zhao,his end left me speechless, even if he was a bad person, no one would deny he was a good father for a child that was never his real son.

Shen family dynamics were enjoyable,their family meetings were fun all the time,but some things Between the shen parents were dragged in the middle.This is surely an A budget drama,but production class was visible with extremely pleasant cinematography and eye soothing costumes and set,reminded me of "the double"

About the ending, My appreciation for the writer for bringing a bit of science & physics into her story...when I watched jicai's family not remembering their time travel journey but still owning the growths they all individually went through in the trip, i couldn’t help saying It's an extraordinary excellent storytelling. Although the concept Isn't proved & It's just a thesis so far, but by physics law's,if travelling to the past is ever possible, you are supposed to forget everything that happened in the process, Any memory that is collected along the closed timelike curve will be erased before the end of the loop....

when jicai 'fainted' in the ancestral hall & travelled back into the past,Lin yan's modern reincarnation also fainted at the same place & dreamed about his past life & regained his past life memories through the butterfly...I took the butterfly as the resentments & memories of Lin yan that stayed in the mortal world for thousands of years until jicai & his reincarnation was born & grown into adults in the modern time & it sustained jicai's memories even after she came back to her era.so only jicai and him remembers each other.... For Lin yan,although his time with jicai was brief, his love transcended through his lifetime,Shen family gave her the warmth he never had since his childhood, jicai gave her a love that stayed for over thousand years and beyond, and i believe he was never lonely with all his precious memories and he never regretted any moment of that time.

Thanks yummy yummy yummy for being such a delightful watch all throughout. I have liked the ending even more than ADWAD. The cast did an amazing job,i laughed a lot and cried a little. One of the best dramas I've watched this year!

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I Didn’t Experience Any Confusion

I’ll open by dealing with the confusion mentioned by others in their reviews. I didn’t feel any. The flashbacks were not entirely conventional, but I was clear about when each scene of the first few episodes were set, and I experienced no issues understanding motivations, reasons, timing, or context. Maybe the writer, director, and editor have the same kind of funky brain I do, but these reviews surprised me. Perhaps the cues are not tuned to everyone, so watch with that in mind. I’m happy to throw out a spoiler marked comment thread clarifying these scenes if anyone wants.

I agree with one of these other reviews about the kisses. Total duds. I also agree with that one about the going behind the lead’s back trope being in really poor taste, given how the second romantic interest had conducted himself. I got a good handle on the whys and wherefores of every step taken apart from that. It really annoyed me, and was the only misstep by the lead’s main romantic interest. Other than that piece of utter f***wittage he was a walking green flag.

I tend to watch these fluffy romances with my critical faculty running at a low idle, and though it’s not at the pinnacle of any of the related crafts, I loved the set dressing and lighting in this series. The decor of the tiny publishing firm ticks all my Scandinavian sensibility boxes, with the warm, beautifully designed wooden furniture, and the clear case of book hoarding that was in progress. His flat, however, felt pretty lacking. Anybody who would kit out their office with such warmth should also have a warm, cosy home. The rest of the locations were as well dressed as the wee publisher, though.

As mentioned, the kissy moments were badly directed/performed, so I assume the gorgeous leads are both straight, and/or the director is a prude. Other reviewers have used the “dead fish kiss” phrase, and it was never more appropriate than in this instance. It’s a shame, because the lead pair are both gorgeous.

This is a romance where all three of the romantic triangle of leads end up better off than they were at the start, which makes for a deeply satisfying piece of mind-candy. And this series is mind-candy. It’s not profound, logically robust, or powerful. It’s a sweet romance based around three people with similar dreams, but very different ways of seeking them, and everyone developed for the better, even if the internal logic of the writing showed some gaping holes 🕳️

Enjoy. I did.

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“You are guilty of finding me before I could find you”

Death’s Game is a Korean drama that tackles a theme as delicate as it is fascinating — the value of life and the weight of our choices. I found it deeply engaging and thought-provoking, a series that kept me hooked until the very last episode.

Each life Yi-jae inhabits is unique, exploring profound themes such as love, revenge, and redemption. This variety gives every episode a distinct tone while shedding light on different aspects of human nature. It’s fascinating to watch Yi-jae grow and mature through these experiences, slowly learning to appreciate the value of life and the people around him.
What makes it even more compelling is how these stories intertwine; no life is truly separate from the others, reminding us how even the smallest choices can alter fate in unexpected ways.

That said, I have mixed feelings about the ending. Yi-jae wakes up right before his suicide, as if given a second chance — a touching idea in theory, but one that also erases the meaning of everything he experienced. The people he met, the lessons he learned, even the justice he achieved — all are undone, leaving a sense of emptiness.
I also found the show’s persistent message that suicide is a “sin to be punished” somewhat heavy-handed and moralistic, which might feel uncomfortable for some viewers.

Still, Death’s Game stands out as an intense, original drama that invites deep reflection on life, death, and the power of our choices — even the ones that seem small or insignificant.
It’s not perfect, but it’s definitely one of those series that lingers in your mind long after the credits roll.

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It's Not the Years that Count—It's the Connection and Commitment

The large age gap between husband and wife was explored with the various issues they encountered: societal gossip, family disapproval, former lovers becoming obstacles, worry about the age gap bothering the other partner (one feeling old; the other feeling childish), and the pressing need to communicate the insecurities each felt. As a person with a May-October (not quite December!) romance, I can testify that each one of those issues rang true (down to the difference in music). The reviews complained about the addition of an intrusive ex, friend, and relative as annoying tropes, but I swear those happened in my life. Tropes come about because they repeatedly occur.

The more Japanese fare I indulge in, the more I appreciate the ability to tell a full story in an abbreviated time. Someone once said that K-dramas are about feelings, and J-dramas are about learning, and there's a bit of truth to that.

Add a half star for the drama getting so much right.

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Eye candy, great storyline, nice costumes and two great Sword Dance scenes!

China has really stepped up their game with well developed, awesome chemistry BLs. The ending is in the same vein as Guardian, Winter Begonia and even the Untamed, as far as the chaos and trials and tribulations the couple has to go through to keep their love. Conflicts between nations, clans, social status, and sense of duty all play a role in challenging the couple's love for each other. The chemistry between Xiao Shu He and Duan Zi Ang is off the charts! Each glance, each touch, each smile makes you feel like you're third wheeling even though we are shipping them hard. TBH, the drama between the nations and the lovers could have all been avoided if Shu He had only listened to his heart instead of trying to fuilfill a duty he really wanted no parts of. I watched all 12 episodes within 24 hours- it is that compelling. The costumes, the music score, the plot are all well done. My only criticism is that they didn't really explain why the crown prince of the southern kingdom was so hateful to the 6th prince. I don't think it was just jealousy, but I didn't get the full backstory. I didn't get why Huo Ying was so loyal to the crown prince, either- he treated him like crap. But other than that- you'll notice that both MLs have beautifully manicured nails throughout bloody battles and sword fights.

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What a great idea, but it ended up a mess

I really like the idea of the show having a load of eternally singles trying to come out of the shells and begin dating. The best episode by far was episode four.. we saw jeong-mok and Yi Do reveal they were each other’s first impression and had just been missing each other. We also saw an unbelievably touching scene in the caravan between. Ji-Su and Seung-Li that took my breath away because he was so vulnerable and open about how shy he was and she looked like she fell in love with him and showed so much understanding. I actually thought Jae-yun was going to be the star of the show but he was excruciatingly shy and it was so frustrating watching him not develop grow. He was totally useless but what made it worse was the girl he liked (Kim Yeo-myung) had absolutely no interest in him whatsoever and I actually found her quite cruel and mean. I didn’t like her at all.
They introduce this weird new love interest with two episodes to go which literally came from nowhere and by then I was fast forwarding and had lost interest. Ji-Su and Seung-Li ended up together but I doubt they continued anything after the show.

Must do better for season two.

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Insecure men are the most dangerous

This was a really nice watch. It had real people, in real settings. There was actual storytelling. It didn't feel like they were trying to sell me something, be it beauty or products to get me to be a standardised beauty, be it regular products, clothes, cars, cosmetics, jewellery - I'm not buying anything!!! It was nice not to have a single packet of kopiko throughout the whole show. I do know there are production costs but the type of dramas like this one prove you can actually tell a story without it turning into a commercial.

I have to say, I hated Min Gi so damn much! They were mostly losers, all of them, but he was a straight up incel. He calls Seol Ha 1 a bitch because she doesn't love him back. He then will spend his whole life chasing after this lost illusion of love because, in his mind, it's a game he lost. That's also why he tries and fails to finish the marathon, instead of dealing with the rejection like a normal person.

Insecure men are the worst kind of men.
Min Gi fell in love with a manic pixie dream girl and that obviously has no cure. He thinks he isn't superficial for not being attracted primarily to looks but he assigns a story and a personality to his romantic interests, instead of getting to know them and then gets angry and frustrated when they turn out different from his imagination. He doesn't like the women, he likes the idea of them and how they make him feel. They like him for his cuteness and effort but he then gets hung up on what he thinks it's important, even if the women say it's not or it's what they want or expect. That's what happened with the shoes, instead of listening to her, he felt his ego bruised and tried to fix that instead of focusing on his relationship.

All of the male leads have very obvious shortcomings, I believe that's the purpose of the drama. Even if the males have the main roles in this drama, the women's characters are more rounded and overall they're stronger and more complex and the men. They know what they want, they don't hesitate and they exist on their own, not in the vicinity of these men.

The one who got the girl was the one who actually did some growing. He didn't simply do his own thing, he put thought into what the girl liked and the talks they had together, the fun, the care. When she raised the issue that they didn't really know each other, he actually did the work to get to know each other. He saw her as a person. He seemed the most vain and yet was the deepest.

Kwon Gi Hyeok let his insecurities win. He took action but probably too late. He chased after her but she was long gone.

So Ju Yeon is probably still waiting for No Jun Seok to take action and will have to wait all her life. His hangup isn't clear. Probably the friendship they have shared all their life but we see he got scared when he saw that he had to spend the night on the trip to the beach with her. His insecurity will throw her again into the arms of another man who knows what he wants and isn't afraid to say it. It says a lot that he valued the bro code over his friendship with the girl he loved. I can't forgive him not saying anything to her when he caught her boyfriend cheating. That's not the action of a friend and even less the action of someone in love. He didn't protect her. At the end, she is frustrated with him and that's honestly fair. But that's apparently who he is.

Overall, it was a great drama! It was fun and it reminded me of 20 or so years ago. It wasn't a heavy drama, which was refreshing but I must be traumatised because I was expecting the Korean truck of death or any other thing to happen at the most random times. I'm glad it didn't go that way.

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A Hundred Memories (2025) Review

9.6/10 ~ The moral of this story hits hard: sometimes, the ones you truly love are already right in front of you, you just fail to see them. So, choose wisely. From the very start, I sensed something tragic brewing, the kind of emotional gut-punch only a K-drama can deliver, and I was right. Yet, despite the heartbreak, A Hundred Memories stands as a worthy and deeply moving follow-up, crafted with authenticity and emotional precision.

The cinematography embraces a “normal” visual approach: crisp, clear, and perfectly color-balanced, giving the drama a raw, realistic charm. Beneath that simplicity lies the spirit of a tingly visual and moral adventure, where friendship evolves into something resembling family. The chemistry between the characters feels lived-in, genuine, and quietly powerful.

Though the final episode leans toward the cliché and predictable side, it still lands on a hopeful, heartwarming note. And honestly? After all that emotional turbulence, a happy ending feels like the closure we deserve.

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