Reviews

101 Perfect!

I am so glad Leowon are gonna debut now! Lee Sangwon the legendary #1, finally!
I got the result I wanted, so this has become my favorite after Produce 101 Season 2! I love Boys Planet Season 1 too because of Sung Hanbin, but I come to more appreciate Season 2 because of Leo and Sangwon. Also, I think that Season 2 became more popular because of the more talented participants, they are all great! I didnt mind the so-called "MNET evil editing" , I just enjoyed watching and supporting my bias..and Sangwon legendary maintained his #1 spot until the end, twas never boring! There were some songs that seemed unfit, but the participants did great performance out of it! Yeah for sure, MNET had magic, as master Kany termed it, like MNET did want some chaos or wanted to make it more dramatic. It made me mad, actually! But I focused supporting my favorite participants esp. Sangwon. There were also some heartwarming and funny moments, and it made much exciting!
Lets go Alpha Drive One (ALD1) !

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Super entertaining and cinematic action romance, great cast and chemistry

Bonkers script that never slows down, hammy acting (mostly from the secondary cast), all the tropes, it shouldn't work that well but it weirdly does, thanks to the actors who are there for it, embracing the camp, a very strong direction and excellent pacing. I do have to mention that the plot takes a while to begin though, we get FOUR whole episodes on the blind princess who will be replaced by the true heroïne, and as a result I struggled to get myself attached to the (fake) twins, as we don't really know who they are and why we should root for them. But as a true trash panda I couldn't really say no to the forbidden romance, even more so with Zhou Jun Wei being all broody and sexy in black and making smouldering eyes at Lu Zhao (he flirts and kisses her like there is no tomorrow). Zhu Li Lan is versatile and has chemistry with everyone, she can switch between doe-eyed maiden and ruthless ruler without batting an eye. At first I was not really into it but couldn't look away (the poor princess' life is a trainwreck), and then got very addicted once our main duo takes the lead. Finally the production and direction must be noted, as it's immaculate, even better than some longer shows. I was taking tons of screens : the compo, colors, lighting and costumes were all gorgeous.

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The Journey To Boredom

When I started this show, it was the second most popular airing cdrama so I had high expectations. I enjoy wuxia dramas a lot and can even binge in 3 days but this one, I struggled to complete ,taking a month!

The series starts off well with the ML, a writer, who ends up in the story he was taking "inspiration" from. The system that drags him inside refuses to let him use cheat codes to gain strength and he has to complete certain steps first. Initially, ML and his friends added fun and humour to the drama when they were travelling places and dishing out justice to members of the power gang. But soon after everything went to hell starting with ML's parents being in danger.

ML's older brothers were the most annoying characters in this drama. I literally wanted someone to punch them hard in the middleof the series. They were dragging the plot of breaking down the ML and making him suffer for several episodes. And I just couldn't give a damn. There was no emotional connection formed with any of the characters. At some point in the show, ML also destroys the system that pulled him in and defeats the whole transmigration purpose of the story. It just becomes a regular historical fantasy. That took away all the potential for fun as the ML also forgot or stopped caring that he was just inside a story and the story became overly serious.

The other characters were merely existing. The FL was good and had chemistry with the ML but they wouldn't let her shine too much because the show had to revolve around the ML. I was starting to love another grey character - Liu Sui Feng and they made him utterly useless as well. The whole time I was curious about the ML's doppleganger and wondering if they were the same person and again, that angle was just so boring. The director just wanted to find ways to make the ML shine and in doing so, all other characters fell flat.

Initially the show introduces the power gang which is terrorising the martial arts world and all the people and were thus the bad guys for harming so many innocent people. But by the end, they made the power gang's leader and the other main lead the real good guys who were just trying to do things a different way. This 180 degree turn made no sense. Why were they harming so many people, stealing everyone's money, surrounding the ML's house and trapping them inside knowing they might starve, etc? Suddenly the leader (ML's other role) was said to be a good guy who never wanted to kill.

Also there are just so many characters who are introduced as powerful and just die soon after - again so that the ML can get their powers and be the ultimate baddie that no one can defeat. There is a scene where 8 masters are transferring their skills into the ML and the scene is so comical and not at all awe-inspiring. Made me wish we could download and upload knowledge the same way in real life.

The drama simply isn't worth watching unless maybe if you are a fan of Cheng Yi but I don't know if even his fans can enjoy this too much.

There are some great fight choreography scenes which normally I love but the show was just too boring for me to truly enjoy it. Fighting alone cannot save a show. Even the finale was not interesting and I actually fell asleep watching it. Had to wake up and start over in 2x. The ending was ok but by the end, I just did not care.

The OST is good but very repetitive.

Final conclusion, just skip it.

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Tragic but hopeful scholar romance with zero budget balanced by sincerity

So, the plot is more or less the answer to : what if the husband in the Double didn't betray her ? Even with many tweaks, that route is also very tragic in a different way, as the heroïne has to watch her man (well they are not really an item yet but still, the vibes are there) become the unwilling boy toy of an unhinged princess. It's made even more cruel in this as the heroïne is a slave (later a commoner), and she doesn't get reborn in a shiny aristocratic clan where she can win contests and catch the eye of a powerful official. She's just trying to stay alive and honor her debts to the poeple who saved her. The beginning is absolutely gut wrenching, even more so since this mini is going for realism without special effects (it feels like a short indie movie at times). The story is full of twists and turns, the production is broke as hell but as an upside we get to see pretty actors who look like real humans without the usual aweful filters (we can see pores ! hair !! the true effect of warm light on their skin !!!). Plot wise, the drama made the very weird choice of getting rid of its main villain (and hook) seven episodes too early, and I'm not sure it's worth watching beyond that (I fast-forwarded to the ending and called it a day).

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Friendship warms the heart

As a regular watcher of dating reality shows, I found Heart Signal 6 particularly special. The most heartwarming aspect was the genuine friendship among the participants and the most engaging element was the reaction of the commentators.

I loved the bromance in the "601" apartment, the fated rivalry between the Tsinghua and Beida graduates, and the grounded "Jin Zhao" couple.

This season is focused on finance professionals and athletes. Coming from a similar industry myself, I felt a special, unexplainable affinity for many of the participants.

The production team certainly struck gold with the storyline of top-university graduates vying for the same woman. The plot thickened perfectly when Yang Jie entered the show midway. Her calm demeanor and emotional maturity allowed her to join the love triangle gracefully, ultimately leading to a happy ending that resulted in two couples—an outcome everyone can celebrate.

Despite the buzz around that central storyline, my personal favorite couple was Lucky and Zeng Zeng (full spoiler alert —since I tuned in late, I already knew they are engaged in 2025!). I adored Zeng Zeng's patience and how it allowed Lucky to be her most comfortable self around him.

Among the commentators, my favourite is Rainie Yang and Ma Bo Qian. Their reactions felt sincere and the delivery of their insights were direct. Rainie Yang, in particular, was remarkably accurate in her predictions, often sharing viewpoints that revealed her empathy and maturity. While I don't recall many specific discussions verbatim, their commentary enhanced my enjoyment of the couples' journeys.

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Not everyone cup of tea, but definitely mine

I find myself truly loving this drama because slice-of-life stories and slow-burn romances are exactly my thing. My ideal drama doesn’t need an extravagant plot or perfect heroes and heroines. I just want something that portrays ordinary people living ordinary lives. and I’ve liked Park Eun Bin from her previous dramas, but Kim Min Jae is new to me. To my surprise, the two of them are perfect together despite their flaws. Their slightly awkward interactions felt genuine, not cringey, something that introverts like me can really relate to. Sure, they can be a bit frustrating at times, especially in the second half of the drama, but that’s just how life is.

It’s an 11/10 for me. I’ll definitely rewatch it from time to time whenever I need some healing, just like When the Weather Is Fine did for me.

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More raw historical kdrama

Before reading my review: I don’t usually watch historical kdramas as I’m more into crime ones. So if there’s already a kdrama out there with a similar vibe to this one, I apologize, and I’d love to hear your recommendations!

I’ve had the novel on my reading list for a long time, so I decided to check it out out of curiosity. At first, I thought it would be modernized and turn into a typical kdrama full of heroes and people who can do the impossible, but I was wrong. This drama is full of humanity, the struggle to survive, the effort to fight just to have food for the next day. That whole raw feeling behind it is absolutely magical to me. I felt that this drama beautifully showed what life was like for people back then, and I really have to appreciate that. Finally, the main characters didn’t look like they’d just walked out of a hanbok rental shop, but like they’d stepped straight out of paintings from that era. Which was also really beatiful to see.

From other reviews, I understand that this definitely isn’t a story for everyone, and I also think the book portrays things a bit differently. Still, I find it a very well-made kdrama, and I think if there were more historical dramas like this one, I’d watch them more often. I’ll definitely come back to this drama once I get to the book. I really want to meet these fascinating characters again, that’s for sure.

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Thai BL meets Lara Croft meets Last Airbender meets a very good looking cast - I'm so sat

There's not one boring moment in this one so far....any more ingredients and they can make at least 3 dramas out of it ...but I love it nonetheless ...NGL, the very good looking cast plays an important role in that, other than the good production values...So initial verdict is: Aye, Aye!! 😍

BL-needle Score: 8, High BL-ness

So, this gives off aThai BL meets Lara Croft meets Last Airbender vibes, with a lifetimes-spanning love rivalry thrown in...and who wouldn't sign up if the trio look as good as Khunkhao-Siwat-Thara...with a few more yummy bois as friends thrown in, you could watch this for a few episodes just for the cast...🥰

But the story promises a lot too...and I mean a LOT...may be a tad too much...not complaining, just saying......element bending characters, ancient and magical civilization/dynasty with a secret hidden in deep lush forests, pre-historic monsters, present-day evil stepmother and her lover-aide, ancient and modern day love triangle.....phew....I hope they are able to focus on 1-2 main threads as the story progresses, or at least manage to weave all of these layers into a smoothly flowing narrative

So the elements-bending trio Siwat-Khunkhao-Thara have been locked in this three-way friends-turned love rivals-trying to woo their common friend, since the Tambralinga days...no wonder Thara wasted no time in cozying up to Siwat and went against Khunkhao's ire on learning Siwat's father's name, probably knowing deep down that he looses out to Khunkhao in the end...I mean what can he do if Khunkhao carries the 'Linga' to Siwat's 'Yoni'...that's plain (or should I say deep? 🤭 ) unfair advantage

So Siwat is fire bender, Khunkhao is Air bender, and Thara is Water bender....I wonder who the earth bender is then, is it their rival? The one who was briefly shown in the glimpse from their Tambralinga times....seated, probably in a lotus position, emitting black resentment Qi ?

I am so sat for the adventure, and suggest that you also come along...it promises to be a helluva ride!!! 🥰

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Bad points
- very blatant and quite nauseating pro-China propaganda, which I'm sure a lot of Hong Kong citizens do not agree with.
- the set designs, clothing and dialogue for the 1980s-1990s era were quite unsuitable. The dialogue seems especially incongruous, feels like it was written by a person growing up in 2000s.

Good points
- great performance from the cast, especially Myolie Wu. The younger actors and actresses were not bad and could hold their own against the older and more experienced cast.
- from the 2000s era onwards, the cellphones they used were so accurate! I really adore seeing the flip or slide phones, Nokia's sturdy 3310 phones and Motorola slim phones - it brought back all the memories!
- the adorable friendship between Wing-On and Sisi; the way they started as a bickering pair to best friends supporting each other through the years! We love female friendships and I wish they had more scenes together.

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unnecessary misunderstanding and subpar plot

Love in the Clouds started off okay the visuals are stunning, the chemistry between the leads is undeniable, and the setup promised an emotional, romantic journey. Unfortunately, the story quickly loses focus, weighed down by unnecessary secrets and a storyline that drags far longer than it should.

From episodes 1 to 23, the female lead repeatedly avoids telling the truth, even when she has countless chances to come clean. What could have been an honest, heartfelt revelation turns into a frustrating cycle of avoidance and misunderstanding. It feels less like natural character development and more like the writers were stretching the plot to fill episodes.

The pacing is inconsistent, and certain subplots appear only to disappear without resolution, making the story feel confusing at times. Despite this, the acting is solid the leads carry their roles with sincerity and manage to keep viewers emotionally invested, even when the script doesn’t fully support them.

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Borderland Gets Darker, Brutal, and Absolutely Unmissable

I am three years late but I just binged the entire season 2 in one weekend and wow. If season 1 was good, season 2 is on a whole new level. Darker, more brutal, and completely gripping from start to finish.

The car racing scene at the start immediately threw me into the intensity and set the tone for the season. The fight scenes at the end were absolutely phenomenal, some of the best action sequences I have ever seen. Every game felt high stakes, intense, and full of shocking twists that kept me on the edge of my seat.

The story of Arisu, Ryohei, and Usagi pursuing the mysteries of Borderland continues to captivate. They face stronger enemies, form uneasy alliances, and inch closer to the mastermind controlling the deadly games. The tension builds perfectly as the final numbered cards remain, making every move and decision critical.

Season 2 exceeded all my expectations and made me fall even more in love with the series. The mix of suspense, action, and strategy is executed flawlessly. I am now diving straight into season 3 and cannot wait to see what comes next. This season is a masterclass in thrill and adrenaline.

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