Reviews

Math Camp L0v3

I'm so glad that the math camp story has it's own page, because the quality is night and day compared to the other story of the anthology that has so far aired. Though the acting of the leads is still greenish, they have lots of room to grow, the writing, direction, and overall production is sharp, producing a very competant, sweet story of friendship and self discovery on the cusp of adulthood in 4 episodes. The humor isn't too exaggerated and overall it's so much better than other full series that just drag on and on.

The math camp itself is already full of kids that are probably on some level of neurodivergent, but Mawin is the most neurodivergent of them all. It's social awkwardness despite wanting to connect with people is so relatable while his genius ability to process math as fast or faster than a computer isn't He's also a really keen observer and solid advice giver. It was unfair of anybody except for Err who he got emotionally and physically involved with to be mad at Mawin because they're they ones who sought out a rando stranger to ask solutions from, it's not Mawin's fault it's him. He didn't even charge any money.

Err is also gifted and is studious towards math, but he's full of self doubt and his loving funny bestie Benz interprets the fortune in the most extreme way and Err just roles with it. I love that Mawin's letter confirms that the fortune just meant for Err to make some friends and not to make him fall in love. It's so such a lovely twist for Mawin that Benz somehow interprets the most general advice into sending Err his way. Err is good at socializing and speaks up for his friends. I love that his friend Mhee from middle school and also at the math camp is also the same way and also gets the math kids to realize what they did wrong against Mawin.

It's lovely the kids reveal they aren't bad people, but it's only because there are other kids brave enough to call them out and correct their their behavior that they made out of fear. This is such a healthy lesson for people of all ages to learn, but especially young adults who are still learning to navigate the world. The way each one of them apologizes to Mawin who has to deliver their laundry as punishment for skipping out on class is heartwarming. Mawin skipping out on the the final exam was handled well. Err misunderstands it concurrently with finding out he was the fortune teller and tragically they don't spend the remaining senior year together while Mawin returns to ostracization. All because Mawin's letter was in the book the ramen coaster course book that Err didn't need to use anymore.

The dramatic irony of Mawin realizing that most everyone just had communication issues and that's what was keeping him and Err apart. I really do like that Mawin gets to have likes and wants and his own set of friends. He didn't want to go overseas, but he wants to learn English to make international calls to Boston, Massachusetts where his boyfriend will be. Good for him for completing his wish of not only making friends, but the bonus gift of getting a boyfriend too. The kissing is the classic awkward stilted jpeg, but the characters are babies and the actors are very young so at least they have reasons. I do appreciate framing them in wide shots.

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Solid Performance from the Cast! Worth Watching.

Pretty solid show overall. It opened strong, with the ML’s looping ability to solve a crime and cleverly narrating the background. The pacing in the early episodes is perfect, with good humor and energy. As the main plot unfolds and is centered on a biotech company (linked to his ability), the tempo starts to slow down largely due to “loop-fatigue”. The pace is weighed down by the five full loops of the same day, and when multiple characters are revealed to retain loop memories ,the multiple viewpoints dilute the momentum and bog down suspense.

What worked well was Ding Ji’s team. Though formed just for the case, they gradually grew into a tight-knit unit. Moments where they were devastated by a teammate’s death during the loop added a heavy emotional weight and made their bond feel genuine. I like Ding Qi’s boss who is exceptionally supportive and accommodating, even to the point of bending believability, like when he lent Ding Qi his gun after confiscation of his own. Over the line, yes, but who wouldn’t want a boss like that?

Another refreshing element was the team’s mix of Mandarin- and Cantonese-speaking members, which gave the show a nostalgic touch reminiscent of classic Hong Kong police dramas!

Bai Jingting delivers a solid performance as Ding Qi. I personally find he’s stronger in contemporary dramas without a romance subplot, where the emphasis is on his internal development and obstacles. He shows real depth in roles demanding grit and intensity. Some of his injury or death scenes in Mobius are vivid, like the veins-on-cue detail adds intensity rather than overacting.

The cinematography deserves credit as well. The loops are visualized in a way that’s both clear and engaging, so viewers can follow the temporal complexity without losing track. Creative transitions and framing choices help mark shifts between cycles, preserving clarity while sustaining tension. The OST also stands out and is effective at amplifying both suspense and emotions.

However, I find the story line towards the later episodes pretty predictable. I liked the female lead, but romantic chemistry feels weak. The FL comes across as more in love with her work than with the ML. Still, the narrative remains mostly coherent and holds together. I might be a bit more critical as I'm a fan of Reset. Overall, I like Mobius and will follow up if there is a second season. Definitely worth watching!

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‘Genie, Make a Wish’ — Luxury That Cheats You.

Let’s start with appearances—because let’s be real, in most of Asia, that’s half the reason people even watch K-dramas. Both leads look great throughout: Woo Bin is handsome, and Suzy is undeniably pretty. (Though seriously, how do people spend hours watching expressionless faces just because they’re “pretty”? It’s hilarious. Just scroll through their Instagram—it’s faster and cheaper, it exists for a reason. Anyway, rant over.)

Now onto the main part.

Did Woo Bin and Suzy do an exceptional job with their roles? The answer is *not really.*

Woo Bin’s acting felt inconsistent. His “happy” and “playful” expressions looked identical, and his comic timing was often off. His emotional scenes, though, were handled well—but I still can’t get past the earlier flaws.

Suzy, on the other hand, continues her trademark “lost and soulless” look. It worked here only because the character demanded it, but truthfully, that’s been her expression in almost every role she’s taken. So I just admired her outfits and moved on.

Their chemistry? If you’re nostalgic for their 2016 pairing, you might feel something. I didn’t.

Now, the real problem is "the story and character development." The plot is scattered and lacks direction. It doesn’t feel like the work of a credible or experienced writer. The show attempts to accomplish a lot but ultimately fails to achieve anything meaningful. The characters lack structure or depth, and the pacing constantly disrupts the flow, leaving the whole experience frustrating and detached.

By the end, it’s pretty clear: the creators wanted a money-making hit, not a well-crafted drama. The entire thing screams "greed for profit". Everyone involved seems to have taken their share without putting in genuine creative effort. The outcome? A shallow, messy product.

Would I recommend it? No. There are better dramas that actually value your time and intelligence. But of course, the final call is yours.

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A quick and relatively low-stress watch

I’ve watched quite a few rebirth dramas, but this is the first I’ve seen that just boldly ignores conservation of mass and creates two concurrent copies of the same person. Such a setup opens the door for lots of interesting and thought-provoking situations, dynamics, and ironies.

Of course, it also comes with some logical challenges, which are handled by glossing over details (show's job) and not thinking too hard (your job). Overall I still think this is a creative premise, even if it makes even less sense than the usual Cdrama.

I really like the older version of the FL. She is thoughtful, mature, and smart, with that calmness of a person who has already died once. It’s clear she’s out to help not harm. She pretty much always acts in ways I support, and she is capable too, so I enjoyed rooting for her and found it relatively low-stress.

Her younger version, on the other hand, is less likable: self-serving, ruthless, bitter. But we already knew that. What I like is that this younger self is not a blanket “bad person”. She’s more of a wildcard. I found her realistic and complex- she wants to save herself, but she’s not dumb nor is she totally self-absorbed.

The two of them have separate consciousness and are pretty much two different people. It’s not really the self-rivalry promised by the show description. Still, I really like how, no matter how annoying her younger self gets, her older self continues to treat her with kindness and compassion. If you take a step back, it’s a nice message for all of us.

The ML is... adorable! He has a cute smile and cute mannerisms. I’d say he’s the typical overdevoted green flag ML. They mention a couple times that he’s a general... that is kind of hard to believe, he is too much of a puppy. He does seem fairly capable, she just seems more capable.

Plot-wise, the FL uncovers conspiracies and discovers new truths, which is always fun to watch. Frustratingly, she spends some time pushing away the ML in the name of protecting him, but luckily this phase ends at some point. The villains are easy to dislike, and overall I found the show not too upsetting or stressful. There isn’t much of good people suffering bad fates or emotional impact deaths of expendable side characters.

I do feel there are some gaps. For example, the FL as empress at the beginning is clearly not fully hinged; being three years older obviously didn’t make her any wiser. But reborn, she is completely different. ...it makes sense given circumstances, but feels choppy and sudden. Just showing a little repentance and regret in her final hours as empress would have smoothed out this transition.

The romance also seems too deep and founded on too little. Their first lifetime’s romance is built up as some death-defying love, but actually all we know of it are a few flashbacks. The second time around, her younger self is ready to use the ML, so how genuine could it have been? The ML is super into her before knowing her that well, but I just am not convinced that this is some love across the ages that would merit such devotion.

If you can believe what you’re told, and accept a premise without thinking too hard, then neither of these is a big deal. Still, I think the show would have been better if it had shown rather than told, so that we resonate better with her character, and feel more emotionally attached to their relationship.

At under 20 minutes an episode, this show is rather short, which is probably why some of these things aren’t fully fleshed out. There are also some side stories that seem like they could have been developed (eg the sister, the princess), but instead are dropped. But the show is so quick that I didn’t fully emotionally invest, so I didn’t mind as much.

Acting-wise, I think the (small) cast did a pretty good job. But it’s sometimes hard to see their expressions behind such thick layers of powder and filters. I feel like this show had paler, smoother faces than usual; I found the lack of skintone a little bit creepy. I wasn’t a huge fan of the makeup in general. Other production-level stuff is not bad, but it’s definitely a smaller drama with a smaller budget.

Overall, I think this is an enjoyable and quick watch. Whether I liked some parts or didn’t like others, it all moved along pretty quickly. It’s good for some mindless, low-stress binging at the end of a day.

ENDING – READ AHEAD ONLY IF YOU WANT TO KNOW, CONTAINS SPOILERS





I’d consider this a happy ending. Kind of.

For a moment, it seems comically tragic. After they achieve a resounding victory, they are suddenly both shot by arrows, to die together once again (after a nice final telepathic conversation that takes up a good fraction of the episode).

Luckily, the show leans into its rebirth concept to show them reuniting again in a modern life. It’s fitting and sweet, although... I think I would have still preferred a happy ending in their life that I just spent 22 episodes watching, and some closure for the other threads of that story.

By the way, I thought the final mystery that was uncovered was well done. Its scope and intrigue were proportional to the show (ie interesting enough, maybe not earth-shattering but it’s also a small show to begin with). And it was only a couple lines near the end, but I really like how the FL acknowledged the villain’s right to have grievances, while still pointing out that his actions were wrong.

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Zhang Wuji is a fascinating contradiction: a young leader endowed with immense compassion and extraordinary talent, yet often hampered by hesitation at crucial moments. His empathy is his brightest virtue—he instinctively tries to heal, reconcile, and spare lives. That moral instinct wins him allies and reveals a humane vision of power. But it also slows him down. In crises, he weighs every angle, worries about unintended harm, and delays the decisive stroke that others expect from a commander.

Some call this softness or naivety; I read it as the growing pains of someone thrust into authority before his judgment has fully hardened. Wuji’s age shows in the way he overestimates good faith and underestimates the speed of ruthless opponents. He thinks broadly, not briskly. Faced with tangled loyalties and conflicting debts, he searches for a solution that saves everyone—an admirable goal that, in the martial world’s brutal arithmetic, is rarely available.

Still, his perceived slowness hides a different kind of courage. Rather than reaching for the quickest blade, he accepts the weight of consequence. That makes him look indecisive beside sharper, more political minds, yet it also keeps him anchored to a moral center others have long abandoned. When he finally does choose, his decisions tend to be clean, restorative, and strategically sound over the long arc, even if they frustrate partisans in the short term.

I disagree with several of his choices; at times he cannot think clearly under pressure, and he misses moments that demand instinct rather than deliberation. But dismissing him as “stupid” flattens a complex figure into a caricature. Zhang Wuji is not an idiot; he is a compassionate strategist still learning the cost of kindness in a ruthless arena. His journey is the refining fire where mercy learns to move as swiftly as resolve

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Slightly sapphic thriller

The show is a full steam on brutal school bullying, drugs, academic pressure, and murder mystery, packing a lot of story into every half hour or less episode. There is a dream kiss scene. They also hug and hold hands. They don't do that with anyone else. That's about as much for the hetero romances too. That's certainly more than mainstream dramas with a lesbian character *cough GenieMakeAWish cough*. I hope this is a step closer to quality dramas of this caliber with full sapphic romance within it's storytelling too. For a darker show about high school girls, it's really refreshing there is not a single hetero romance. There are also the topics of self pleasure and abuse of teenagers without being exploitative.

Seulgi and Je I are such a fascinating pairing to watch. Seulgi is suspicious, but is warmed by the attention that Je I gives her. Je I is ever ambiguous in intentions, always keeping Seulgi on her toes at the same time as drawing her in. It's usaully Je I surprising Seulgi, but I enjoy the moments where Seulgi is the one being surprising like leaving print outs of her own essay that other people wanted to steal in every one's desk. All the girls are morally grey and look out for their self interests. Choi Gyung also takes so pill helpers to study, her drug of choice to destress for a test is jerking off in public places. She's her mom's visual mini-me and out of everyone has the healthiest home life comparatively. She really learned she needs no man, just career and alone time. Ye Ri has a savvy business sense, but she's not in the situation to put it to the best use.

A couple things that's of character silly though is the girls going through the night club touching their ear like they are playing pretend spies and the psychopath Dr. Yoo's scheme to remove the CSAT pill from the stomach instead of just giving the guy a laxative to remove the pill from the stool. The teacher did abuse his daughter, but not the most efficient way for the scheme if revenge wasn't the point. It's interesting that Dr. Yoo realizes that his eldest daughter Je Na has psychopath or sociopath tendencies like him, but he still favors his second daughter as his project for perfection. He doesn't give the same attention to his Je Na, but still expects the same, maybe as a pacemaker like how he refers to Seulgi.

Je I does also possibly have sociopathy, though she's the only one that hasn't murdered anyone. Her upbringing could have also made her express emotions and love in the way that she does. Her most unhinged moment was when she filmed the threat video to make that girl move schools. She's utterly has no shame or fear when it comes to moments that would be embarrassing or scary to others. She does absolutely care about her sister, her dog, and Seulgi. She thinks about their deaths and she tries to save them. She wins the game against her father, but the system is ultimately unfair, despite the huge scandal csat scandals, kidnapping and faking the death of his daughter, falsifying the identity of the dead orphan, there is nothing to tie the murder to him, so he only has four months of prison and his free to harass and stalk Seulgi and her step mom.

It's lovely that Seulgi did form a little family unit with her step having already lost both her parents and the step mom never getting to have a child with her late husband. She also gets a cryptic photo from Je I of a scene by the sea side where Je I is land surfing. May the sapphics get their sea side happily ever after.

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Short, Smooth, and Satisfying: Thoughts on My Damn Business

A light and smooth drama that doesn't bore the viewer. The story is simple yet engaging, without being overly dramatic or intense. The music complements the mood perfectly, while the cinematography, transitions, and direction are executed beautifully and comfortably for the audience.

What I particularly liked is that the focus remains entirely on the two main leads. The development of their relationship feels natural, gradual, and easy to follow. The way the series portrayed the hero's initially annoying personality-and how it changed over time-was very realistic and well done.

Despite being only seven episodes long, the drama manages to feel complete, with no missing or confusing parts. Overall, My Damn Business is a good, well-balanced drama with a simple yet satisfying story and well-crafted execution

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Entertaining

Overall, it's a good storyline that keeps your attention. I loved the characters and the chemistry between the ML/FL/2ML. Beautiful, talented actors and not too many annoying characters which is typical in most C dramas, i.e. whining, super annoying childlike females ( only a few in this drama). The plot is interesting and original up to a point, at which time it becomes too repetitive, namely, every episode is about chasing, killing, torturing the FL over and over again. It gets really boring. Also, how did a modern " military" girl got all the ancient Marshal art skills to perfection in an instant when she took over the body of a girl who was weak and timid? Ok, we get the qin music part as the " host" was a good player.
Overall, it's a good show and entertaining. I recommend this drama, have already watched it twice (second time fast forwarded the repetitive scenes)
Thank you for the great entertainment.

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