Reviews

the best drama of 2026

this is probably the best drama of the year and it's only january.

there's a couple of things i wanna talk about. when people talk about any actor/actress not being good i don't like to talk about it because i've never fully comprehend it. but, with younjung (and i've watched a few of her works), i can say she's actually good. maybe it wasn't that hard to understand it, but she was so good at projecting do rami, not just when muhee had these hallucinations, but even when she transformed into her. she didn't need to say it out loud, it was obvious, the way she spoke, her body language and the way she dressed making the difference between her and muhee.

something i kinda didnt like, though. was the family subplot, i get the reason do rami was haunting muhee was actually her mother but the way her mother tried to kill her dad uhhh its kinda weird to me somehow. ive never been a fan of crime subplot in a kdrama romcom but anyways, thats just me.

at the beginning, even though muhee was embarrassing herself in front of and even fucking it up with hojin, i think it was important for the drama to keep moving. it was really good ngl i loved everything about it

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Another highly praiseworthy milestone for Pooh/Pavel

What a series, and what a dramatic high impact ending! We are used to drama and high stakes from Pooh and Pavel since the two “Pit Babe” series with terrifying villains, deadly moments, but this series topped it all tenfold! Evil sorcery, creepy ghost and moments surely not for the faint of heart, I was glad I watched the blurred version on Youtube. Despite my usually sensitive nerves, I found even the dark scenes bearable, walking just the fine line of too much horror and hope.

Both MC actors Pavel but especially Pooh proved to have extended their range as actors in this most challenging story. Some may say the love story took a bit of a back-seat and while I would agree, it made it all the more memorable. I am sure anyone who liked it, will remember this series for a very long time. In all it set out to do, mix horror, crime and love, they succeeded with flying colors! The last two episodes and especially the last part was a true highlight of drama, with everything at stake and on the edge of a knife, giving the viewer the feeling that all possible ends remained on the table until the very last moments.

One may say, that made the time after the happy ending a bit too short, but in all honesty I didn't mind. Singha and Thup had already grown together and their backstories had been unfolded step by step, that despite this I felt the ending satisfying and didn't feel I missed another extra “all happy” time added to it. It may be regarded as more horror drama with BL, alright, but looking for BL to dare more story, and feeling myself these days bored of “just BL” this was most welcome to watch. A truly cinematic masterpiece that doesn't have to shy away from being compared to any big international series. In the end, mama and papa (the forever homeless^^) found together as if in one more universe. Feeling thoroughly greatly entertained throughout the entire series, great actors I every single role, and Pooh making the happiest happy face there is, I am confident with a


10/10
Memorable Series!

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This is the real life- with highs and lows

This drama is truly a masterpiece. It’s definitely for adult audiences. It’s about real life-nothing exaggerated, nothing missing. The stories feel honest and familiar, because at some point we all experience sadness, illness, loneliness, and moments when we lose our way and need an extra push. Every human being is their own universe with highs and lows, but in the end we all search for the same things: love and happiness. I don’t consider this drama slow at all-it’s calm, thoughtful, and beautifully paced. There isn’t a single boring scene; everything has a purpose and feels perfectly placed. The script is outstanding and the actors delivered incredible performances. I highly recommend it. 10/10 ⭐️

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amazing chemistry, fluff filled office drama

Let me begin by saying Lu Yuxiao is so pretty!!! Her styling in this whole drama was so soft and cute! I loved her character as well. She was brave and communicated her feelings across to the ML everytime. Alot of the times she was the one who took the initiative which was a fun dynamic to see as well.

Chen Xingxu proportions omg... the stylist gave him really good fits as well! His character was more tsundre vibes but he was not boring and stiff. There was a back story for him and he also had many comedic moments.

The chemistry between the two of them was amazing. There is a part where they are forced to break up for a short period of time but eventually get back together. The last 2 episodes are full of fluff as well! The scenes are shot really well with good cinematography. I also enjoyed the dialogues between the leads.

Surprisingly, the game VR portion is mostly only in the first few episodes. It was just used as a introduction point for the leads. After that the drama is more of a office drama.

The story of the side characters is okay, nothing intense but blends in with the plot.

Overall a really nice romance drama which I would definitely rewatch!

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One of the best dramas ever

Came across this while searching for a Leo Wu drama to watch and didn't expect much since i've never heard anyone mention it before. It's mainly a story about the early days of esports and how it evolved into a national sport. It shows the struggles of those who were into esports early on and how they didn't give up, paving the way for the development of the industry. At the same time, it's a story about friendship and family. It's a beautiful story of how two people from different time periods came to have a beautiful friendship with the writers brilliantly weaving the past and present together seamlessly. It's both funny, heartwarming, and definitely a tear-jerker. This drama is a hidden gem!

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Total Departure from S1 & A Completely Miscast Main Antagonist.

I wanted to watch this because it was S2 from S1 which had been a sleeper hit. The main actors were the same and though time passed, it would be just as good, right? Sadly not. It was a complete departure from S1 with a completely miscast main antagonist. This will be one of those reviews where pros and cons will be mixed together.

The story started strong just like normal, with a case and had the fab 4 plus big bro helping out. But then things begin to slide downwards. Though it's understandable that in 3 drama years both of the fab 4 couples would be married, they didn't have to make their husband such simps around their wives. ML was still as whip smart as ever but because the enemy was now a different country it seemed like they were constantly missing something. It didn't help that there was a spy called Peacock that came literally out of nowhere. He was the leader of the spy network deeply entrenched in their capital which they only figured out as time went on. If in season one, we had an understanding of who the main antagonist was and he fit the mold, in season two we needed Jack the Ripper by the time he revealed all of the atrocities (skinning people alive, whipping them with the same whip that was used on him when he was a child, or feeding them poisonous bugs until they incubated long enough to burst out of the stomachs and kill others; very The Mummy or Species diabolical) he was responsible for but instead we got friendly Joe from next door who mows your lawn and gets paid in chump change. This particular actor has never played a real antagonist; always as a protagonist in modern or costume dramas so to stick him in a role so complex was absolutely was unbelievable, I don't know what production and casting was thinking. He could scheme sure so could play the role of a small villain but not the ultimate villain; it was truly laughable by then. Especially the issues in continuity where in his last scene, one minute there was no blood on his dagger, the next there was, and it kept going back forth, the other actors delayed reactions or movements was lazy editing. And his ending, with the academy award speech before thrusting the knife into his own heart or stomach, was so even more anticlimactic than the rest of it. Truly eye-roll worthy.

I also don't understand how the emperor of Da Tang could constantly listen and obey orders from an envoy of different country like the guy had any real power; fatso as I called him; now he could have played the ultimate villain. But we spent the first half of the show one step forwards two back because the enemy was with them all the time. No one would believe he could be the biggest threat because he just didn't have the personality for it even when it was revealed he was Peacock. It wasn't spoken about again; all this time trying to find this spy and by the time it was realized, it was forgotten. After they finally found some upper ground with the fake syphilis and started bringing down the network, they were sent to join big bro, who still acted the same and I wish had more screen time to weed out what we learned was the poisonous bug network and he too ended up with a love interest but sadly that wasn't properly explored. It just seemed on a case by case bases if there even was such a thing, things were buried and not properly clarified or just forgotten. Or why did CC's dad suddenly appear out of nowhere, with no warning in the middle of nowhere, so he could get kidnapped and than CC was as well; it just didn't make sense. These type of instances happened a lot. Or when the big web unraveled it was one giant conspiracy with several minds behind it but again the one that mattered just didn't hit the bar. The killing of two characters especially the guard was sad.

I also wish the ending was different; exit out characters, don't leave them hanging or poof like big bro and his woman. Also wish instead of another imperial decree, they showed the leads with kids as opposed to them making plans to travel while the second couple was going to get married again. It just felt incomplete; like even production gave up on it.

We did have a higher budget, some decent comedy, decent OSTs, nice costumes, and sets.

Would I recommend it? Honestly unless you want to see the progression of the Fab 4, no. It just didn't have the same uniqueness and difference from so many other shows. It seemed lazy on production's part and it could have been a great show.

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Faster but Just as Strong: A High-Quality Remake That Fits Everything In

Family by Choice is a great drama with a strong story. Compared to the original Chinese series, which was much longer and more detailed regarding the characters' lives, this version had a lot to cover in a shorter time.

Even though it was only 16 episodes way shorter than the original it actually did more with its time than expected. While it couldn't dive as deep into every single detail, it successfully fit every essential aspect of the story into a tighter plot. The production quality was top-notch, and the cast was perfect. It’s a rare remake that manages to feel complete and impactful despite the shorter length!

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Amazing without a doubt!!

This drama felt like a breath of fresh air. It seamlessly incorporated the matriarchal characteristics with the period/historical background and plot without coming off as a caricature. It never came off as forced, not even for a minute. It seemed so organic and effortless, though I'm sure it wasn't an easy task for the directors and scriptwriters.

I really liked Rong Shan Bao as a character. She knows what's expected of her but she also knows what she wants and doesn't lose her sense of self. She's cold and strict, but she is also kind. She's ruthless with her enemies, but she's also just and depending on what the other person's done/whether they deserve it, she gives a chance for change and repentance. She's truly very intelligent, hardworking and her presence commands the room. She's deeply respected because she really deserves it. I really wish to see more characters and dramas like this in the future, with a perfect blend of the matriarchal elements and a truly powerful female lead with strong presence. Gulnezer Bextiyar was great as Shen Bao, she portrayed really well the character's intelligence, inner strength and calm demeanor even in the face of the storm, she had quite an imposing presence which suited the character perfectly. At the same time though, I must admit that she did leave me wanting a bit more acting-wise at some points in the story (e.g. her crying for Rong Yun Wan and other parts). She did really great overall though.

Hou Ming Hao was honestly amazing as Lu Jiang Lai / Lu Fu Sheng, seriously his portrayal was super natural and realistic!! I also love how he never came off as subservient to Shan Bao, even when he had amnesia. He would sometimes pretend, but he never really lost himself even when he forgot everything. The protagonists behaved like equals, both hid things at times, sometimes it was the fl who was ahead, other times it was the opposite. I really enjoyed how Jiang Lai and Shen Bao were both really intelligent AND really in love with each other. These two characteristics were blended really well without countering each other. Neither would magically lose their brain just because they were in love.

I do have to mention that around the 3/5ths of the story, it got a bit tiring, maybe a bit boring as well and I did skip quite a bit. But overall this was a very interesting drama.

The rest of the cast did really great as well, I especially loved Leanne Liu as Old Madame Rong! I also really enjoyed Zhao Jia Min as Rong Yun Yin, Liu Qin as Yang Ding Chen, Zhao Yi Qin as Yan Bai Luo, Li Fei as He Xing Ming and Zhang Nan as Rong Yun Shu.

Overall I liked how intriguing the story was, how everyone received their just punishment, how the Rong heiresses came to support each other so well, and how strong both leads were. I honestly wish to see more characters like these (especially Shen Bao) with this type of dynamic between them, in the future. I am especially looking forward to watch more dramas like this where the matriarchal characteristics were seamlessly incorporated with the plot. Though I'm not one to easily rewatch dramas, something tells me that I'll probably watch this again in the future.

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My First Dive into Chinese Action Drama—and I’m Hooked

This was my first Chinese drama in the action, thriller, and mystery genres, and it didn’t disappoint—quite the opposite. While I initially approached it with some hesitation, unsure of what to expect, I found myself fully invested by the end and wishing there was more.

Bai Jingting excels at subtle emotional transitions, using small shifts in expression and eye gaze to move effortlessly from stoic intensity to quiet tenderness. The drama complements him beautifully—just when you’re immersed in a thrilling, action-packed scene, it effortlessly shifts into a welcome moment of humor or tenderness between colleagues or lovers. It often feels as though the role itself was written with Bai Jingting in mind. That balance was especially satisfying to watch.

The plot is genuinely mysterious, and the production does a good job of keeping viewers questioning their assumptions about the culprit. Even after the reveal - slightly premature, in my opinion - the story remains engaging, drawing me in, eager to understand the characters’ stories and their connection to the time-loop abilities.

Despite not being a romance, the drama hints at a secondary romantic thread, and I found myself wishing the FL’s character had conveyed more emotional nuance and warmth and felt less restrained in the scenes with the ML. A more expressive FL character might have strengthened the secondary romantic thread and made it more engaging for viewers drawn to romance-driven storytelling.

I really appreciated the camaraderie and comedic moments between Ding Qi and his co-workers, which felt like welcome breaths of fresh air amid an otherwise tense narrative. I only wished the production had further explored one of his co-workers’ stories through a parallel subplot.

All in all, this is a solid and engaging drama that I would recommend to anyone new to Chinese dramas, especially viewers drawn to action, thriller, and mystery genres.

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loneliness becomes its strongest evidence

There is a book I love deeply; I won’t name it, in case someone reading this has read it. In the story, a girl speaks every week on the phone with her mother, who is in prison. Throughout these conversations, the mother relentlessly belittles her daughter, always under the guise of concern. “You don’t really deserve that anyway.” “They spend time with you out of pity.” “Did she call you sweet? Then she probably didn’t like you that much.” At first, these words seem like nothing more than the language of a cruel mother. But toward the end of the book, it becomes clear that the “mother” the girl hears is less a real person than a voice deeply rooted in her mind. This is not simply an imaginary mother; it is an inner voice shaped by childhood trauma, one that forms the girl’s beliefs about herself, a voice that claims to protect her while quietly shrinking her, shaming her, and pushing her into solitude.

This is a painful truth, yet the story whispers this: for a child, the mother’s voice is not an interpretation but reality itself. How the world works, what people mean, what love looks like — all of this is learned through that voice. Even when the mother disappears, the voice remains, because it no longer speaks from the outside but from within.

When read alongside Can This Love Be Translated, this meaning deepens further. In that story, the character the girl creates ultimately turning out to be her mother does not suggest a return to the mother, but rather the inevitable emergence of the mother from within the mind. The one who was meant to learn the language of love never learned it at all. And so love does not appear as tenderness or closeness, but as control and diminishment. The girl reconstructs the only form of love she knows.

In this book, the mother’s voice builds an invisible glass wall between the protagonist and the world. Because the voice insists, “No one truly loves you,” the protagonist grows increasingly isolated. As the isolation deepens, the voice validates itself; loneliness becomes its strongest evidence.

Both stories bleed from the same wound: sometimes we are hurt most where we were meant to be loved. And perhaps more painfully still, we are hurt most where we were forced to change ourselves in order to be loved. For the more we change shape, the more we lose our own voice until only someone else’s remains.
it was so good.

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