Reviews

FirstKhaotung is the best ship ever??

From the very beginning, I already knew this series was going to be good — and I wasn’t wrong at all.
Cat for Cash quickly pulled me in with its atmosphere and characters. There’s something very special about the way the story is told — soft, emotional, but at the same time full of tension that keeps you watching.
One of my favorite parts is definitely the eye contact between the leads. The way they look at each other feels so meaningful. Their eyes express emotions better than words — curiosity, hesitation, affection, and growing trust. Those silent moments made the chemistry feel real and deep.
I loved how the connection between them develops naturally. It doesn’t feel rushed, and every small interaction matters. Even simple scenes become intense because of their expressions and the way they hold each other’s gaze.
Overall, Cat for Cash is a BL that made me feel invested from the start.
I truly enjoyed it, and it confirmed what I felt from episode one — this series was always going to be something special..💞

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Just Awful

This was the single most difficult series I ever got through!!!
Do Ha is the most arrogant and obnoxious character I've seen in a long time. How he can be the lead protagonist and we're supposed to enjoy this series? There wasn't one minute in this drama that I found myself rooting for him. It's just beyond understanding how this character was written for us to enjoy.
I like Jae Wook, seeing him in past dramas that were extremely entertaining, but there were times in this one I had to fast forward over him, because it was just too annoying to watch his character so sure of himself, again and again and again.
Equally annoying was the other protagonist, Ha Gyeong. Nothing ever goes her way. She's made to look so pathetic. Watching her in such misery and have so much anger peaking out throughout each episode. How she let Do Ha walk all over her, it was just incredible watching it happen.
I'm not too familiar with Sung Eun,. but I don't put the blame on her, it was just an awful character she portrayed.
Just an all around bad series. I will try to forget this one in a hurry.

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It was an okay drama

ummmm.... it was okay. It was worth the watch. The vibes between the leads gave off the FL being older and she looks older.
I think she would have stand out more as just his lawyer because she gave off boss energy in the courtroom.
I still didnt see the chemistry between them, they gave off more of a friendship vibes to me.
But it could just me be who is blind.
I personally would have liked it if the mystery part of it was more in depth because the "investigating" was lacking to me. Like the investigators hardly did anything and it was the lawyers who they showed putting pieces together.
But it was okay.

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My fav drama. Worth watching :>

Unforgotten Night is honestly one of those BLs that stays in your head for a long time.
From the very beginning, the atmosphere felt intense, dramatic, and a little chaotic — but in the best way possible.

I really loved the dynamic between Kim and Kamol. Their relationship wasn’t perfect or simple, but that actually made it more interesting to watch. The mafia setting added a lot of tension and gave the story a darker, more mature vibe that I personally enjoyed a lot.

The series may not be realistic, but that’s exactly its charm. It’s dramatic, bold, emotional, and sometimes over-the-top — and that’s what makes it fun. I was never bored while watching it, and I always wanted to know what would happen next.

Overall, Unforgotten Night is a BL that knows what it wants to be and fully embraces its style.
If you like dramatic BLs, strong chemistry, and a dark mafia aesthetic, this series is definitely worth watching.
I truly enjoyed it and it became one of my favorite BLs.

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Beautiful series transcending genres while showcasing Thai culture

I did not expect to feel so strongly about Khemjira, but I can't seem to watch anything else at the moment, even after finishing it a week ago. Although it's not a perfect show, I thoroughly enjoyed watching it and can definitely say it's one of the best of 2025. The first half felt a bit stretched out, but the rest really captivated me, especially Episode 11 was a highlight!

You can tell how much DMD invested in production; I'm very impressed with the cinematography, effects, and locations. What makes this BL stand out is of course the fantasy-horror aspect, which was executed very well!
So many interesting themes, such as Isaan culture and Buddhist traditions, were incorporated with respect and accuracy. As it is a novel adaptation, there is also the pressure of executing a satisfying show for the novel readers.

This is the first big series for the four main actors; there are improvements to be made but overall, I liked all of their performances and believe they will only get better. Tle, Keng and Green stood out to me most. When it comes to Namping, I was a bit conflicted as some scenes were done perfectly (e.g. acting as Jet), while others were less realistic (e.g. the crying scenes).

In terms of the character Khem, I also wish he was not portrayed as a "damsel in distress" the whole time. It would have been nice to show more development when it comes to his personal strengths and will to live (since he kept wanting to give up). Although the title of the show ("Khemjira must survive") demonstrates how he obviously had to be saved, it was frustrating to watch someone so helpless while everyone was doing everything for him.

I really love how they approached the topic of queer marriage and adoption – very important to have this representation in the genre! Calling it a BL does not do it complete justice in my opinion, as it is a beautiful queer story that demonstrates both gay and lesbian couples, with characters who are proud of their sexuality and who express love openly.

The OST is wonderful as well, I've been listening to it every day!

Hopefully, Khemjira will inspire other BLs to experiment more with diverse genres and topics like this. Would love to watch more horror/dark shows!

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just some guy’s cultivation journey yet thoroughly entertaining

this is a story that starts with tropes so recognisable, they are almost as trite as “once upon a time.” our lead, Han Li (played by Yang Yang, who really seems to have found his niche in this character), is introduced as a basic teenager from a family so poor that for him and his friend, joining a cultivation sect means eating actual food every day instead of arguing over flatbreads with siblings.

as we initially follow our teenager (for indeed he is no hero, as we learn relatively quickly), his journey begins to diverge from the tried and true cultivation narrative. he certainly has talents but they are not flashy or impressive to others; in fact, they appear invisible to almost everyone except the most crafty of mentors. but Han Li is cool-headed and thoughtful and has mastered, if we are polite about it, conflict avoidance and strategic retreat. if we were less charitable and more into legendary saving-the-world stories, we might be inclined to call him cowardly.

our not-quite-hero does, however, understand how to work both smart and hard, which is quite fortunate because his path is not destined to be an easy one. the focus of the sects on collecting items and on growing their cultivation base with pills and potions is slightly unusual, but this jarringly materialistic subculture holds space for Han Li’s peculiar personality to thrive and gives a sense of this being not just a story but a game.

the pace overall is fairly unrelenting if somewhat uneven. for those of us who have not read the novel on which this is based, which is very long, the information overload and rapid cycling between sects and characters may be a little disorienting and it does feel as if there is insufficient time for character development. Han Li does plenty of gardening and gardening-adjacent chores, which is when you should probably catch your breath, but often these moments arrive too late and you have already processed the previous rapid-fire events. this inconsistency would probably be my only major criticism of the series as a whole.

while there is not really time for explicit comedy, it is still quite humorous at times, which also provides some relief from weeding and fighting demonized creatures. one of the oddest and possibly unintentional sources of humour is the way that almost every character at some time points out how ordinary, plain and unattractive our main character is. meanwhile, Yang Yang’s Han Li gets an obvious glow-up every time he levels up. by two-thirds of the way through, he looks like he has a personal spa in his cave. if they keep on polishing the visuals as his cultivation improves, there will be nothing but blinding light to see for the rest of the story. perhaps the next installment should just be an audio drama.

the CGI has a bit of a late 2000s feel, which sometimes feels slightly anachronistic but does comfortably feed the gamified nature of the series. the fight scenes, however, are impeccably designed and provide a counterpoint to the more mundane aspects of cultivation life.

while large-scale conflict provides the backdrop to the narrative, overall the series still manages to feel low-conflict, in large part because of Han Li’s avoidant personality and distinct lack of interest in interpersonal drama. as an example, when he finds a deceased person, he will inevitably just search them for artifacts then insta-cremate them with very little hassle, whether he killed them himself or they died from non-Han Li-related misadventure. always the pragmatist.

at its core then, The Immortal Ascension is a low-angst series about how people work their way up the cultivation food chain, but it has no pretensions about developing side characters or insisting that you hold feelings for them. the inherent sadness in the narrative is quiet, philosophical and with hidden depth, much like our protagonist himself. Han Li simply has his own path to tread.

though he finds (and by extension, we also find) very few people to care about, there are plenty of people who follow him around, from an entire hopeful harem of women, most of whom he deliberately avoids but still treats with a detached type of respect, to his archenemy, the flamboyant demon lord Wang Chan (Wang Duo with one of his most overtly camp performances), who doesn’t seem to realise that his obsessive relationship with Han Li is unrequited.

the music felt slightly limited in scope but well-deployed. the individual tracks are very strong, particularly Shi Yan’s 蜉蝣志 (Mayfly Will), a raw, rasping emotional journey reminiscent of some of Chen Xueran’s best work. months after finishing The Immortal Ascension, I listen to this OST occasionally and it’s still just as impactful.

all in all, this was an enjoyable and memorable journey, particularly considering the fact that I started this on a whim with zero expectations. the end credits signal a second season and I will definitely be seated!

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An extraordinary, chaotic fateful first love

Such a unique and unpredictable plot line guarantees that you are on the edge of your seat with each episode. Complex characters, mind-bending plot twists, and a touch of EVERY cliche from amnesia to historical royalty transforms this drama into a fun rollercoaster.

The stakes are high for spunky, peppy Dan-Oh as she chaotically attempts to change her fate. If she is the force pushing the story, Haru is the life given to it. He may be a quiet character, but his heartfelt eyes for Dan-Oh proves their chemistry.

Their romance is simply adorable. It's impossible not to root for them.

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Quite like this blind box drama.

I watched this so randomly and there is less than 2 hours so i can watch this while travelling to other city.

The plot is about FL was forced by her husband to go out and find other men to get her pregnant so he can be virgin for SFL. FL feeling to her husband are died and ask him to let her search man by herself.

The kisses aren't as intense since Wen Yuan likes to peck his mouth. The chemistry are still sufficient but not really artificial sweet. The usual generic formula on short drama are still there for example hidden identity the plot is quite smooth and the pace was so on-track. ML is competitive and greedy. So far, I can still finish watching his dramas. FL is also quite unique vibe and she fights back the antagonists. Zhao Fei acting was quite decent.

The cons are FL husband and SML acting quite old-style and their scenes are so terrible. from fast-forwarding to later skipping any scenes with them. If you are quite morally right person, you wont like this drama.

Decent drama to watch.

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TOO many believability issues, but good acting and scenery

Turns out IT IS A FAKE BL drama (for those who do not know, why, the explanation is below in a hidden response).

As nearly every series that starts with a unfriendly state between the main couple, it lacks believability because in real life those lads would have “target assessing” glances on each other (though not openly), instead of being just annoyed. However, this is never showed because of the nonsensical formula that they are straight until they suddenly turn gay some time later.

In Thailand stationary militarised outposts are made of standard blocks that provide things like showers etc, so the show is taking liberties here for a bigger dramatic effect. Or the timeline should have been rewinded back ten or twenty years back.

It is great that they have decided to film in nature, and they even have some dark scenes with fire that look beautiful. NOT a school/university series, so it is already good. Showcases corruption of the elites, which is great. But too many things in the series are not believable:

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This was Incredible. I'll Never Do It Again

Let not the rewatch value fool you, I will NEVER rewatch this. Once was simultaneously perfect, but also too much. I cannot handle sitting through this story a second time.

When I saw Netflix add this to the 'coming soon' line-up, I expeditiously added it to 'my list' simply because of Tseng Ching Hua. So far, I've seen him in 5 shows, and he hasn't once let me down with his incredible acting skills. The man is incredibly talented — and the fact that he's beautiful to look at doesn't hurt either.

Moon Lee is also another actor that I wanted to watch. Just coming from binging both seasons of 'The Victim's Game', I wanted to see more of her acting. Who knew that her character, Chiang Hsiao Tung, would rip my heart out the same way that Chiang Hsiao Meng did in the previous shows? Ok, why do her characters have such similar names?
PS. I also just realized that I've seen her before in the movie 'I Am the Secret in Your Heart'. But seeing that I chose to wipe that entire story from my brain —because what the hell was that ending?—, I should be excused for forgetting her.

As for the plot in it's entirity, it's hard for me to write a proper review.

All I know is that my heart felt heavy throughout the 10 episodes. As the other reviews say, this isn't an easy story to get through. I went in thinking that it was a simple run-of-the-mill serial killer plot, and 2 episodes in, I knew I had to pace myself. This wasn't a story I could sit and binge in one or two nights. It took me almost 2 weeks to complete this 1st instalment, as all I could handle in a go was one or two episodes.

I literally finished watching 2 animated movies, one anime, and 2 seasons of 'How to Train Your Dragon' in the time it took me to complete these 10 episodes. I needed some palate cleansers after them.

When my heart wasn't feeling like someone was ripping it out and tap dancing on it, I was angry. Save for Chiang Hsiao Tung and Li Jen Yao, I was angry at everyone. From Li Jen Yao's mother (there's a special place inhell for mothers like her) to his dad (he should've been burned at the stake, to the teachers, the corrupt cops, plus other law enforcers, some of their schoolmates, and the parents of those disgusting boys. Everyone made me angry.

No matter how many times Li Jen Yao tried to save himself from drowning in the mess that was his life, they found ways to keep him down. To push him further in and suffocate him. And then they did the same to Hsiao Meng, all because she fell inlove with someone they deemed less than. Trash that they could bully, play around with, and throw away. Honestly, episodes 8 and 9 hurt in ways that I cannot begin to describe.

All in all, this is an incredibly well-done story, albeit a hard one to get through. The topics highlighted are important, and in a way, I have a deep respect for the actors, screenwriters, directors, and everyone who worked on this story. They did not pull any punches, and my heart and soul are black and blue from it.

PS. Some scenes made me sit and wonder how the actors, especially the two main ones, got into and out of the headspace required to express those emotions. Yoh....🙆🏾‍♀️

Now, I'm off to part 2. A part of me feels like it'll be cathartic, the other part feels like they'll just hurt me more. I feel like they aren't done wringing my heart out just yet

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I was in a modern C-drama slump but not anymore!!

Some thoughts on this drama...

1. Undeniably amazing chemistry. ML's character development and actors potryal of it was just amazing! he started off cold, and the actor perfectly showed it, and then as he got more involved with her, the actor's portrayal was so good. Both ML and FL did so amazingly.

2. FL's hairstyle changed after she was in love!!! Hairy theory!!!

3. Maybe I am the only one, but I feel like they moved away too fast from the best friend's ex-husband. I for sure thought he was going to come into to play again, but nope, she moved on too, which I was honestly surprised about. But if you think about it, their relationship was very taxing on each other. He was consistently apologizing for missing or being late or whatever, and she was letting it go.

I had hoped she would acknowledge that kiss was a misunderstanding or whatever, but they were breaking from the start and needed to leave each other. So amicably end stuff, but I guess not.

4. SML was perfectly portrayed. At times I even thought he might be in the lead and they would add a reciprocal love triangle, but our FL was very smitten with her man lol.

5. The men's outfits in this show were TOP FREAKING NOTCH from the VR to IRL!

6. ML's mom doesn't really deserve much grace imo. She didn't even show the anger ML's dad deserved!! She wasn't even a little bit curious her whole life and just took things as they were. Also, why did she even end up with her husband's business partner?? Like, what's the lore behind that??

Overall, the last time i was this obsessed with a drama and was searching up every edit of the couple was Prisoner of Beauty, The Best Thing, and WBDB, and now this! I am so in love with them and how well the actors portrayed their characters. I love how steady they both were, but careful going into the relationship. And once they were dating, it was all in!! 10/10 drama

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Came for cute romance, left with a touching lesson of what life and youth really is about

This was an exceptional ride. I had heard of the anime before, didn't know it also had a J-drama. This show should be talked about, even when 20 years have passed; it is exceptional. This story was almost perfect in every aspect. Acting was god-worthily perfect. The story was very inspiring. Suddenly, I didn't watch a simple romance series, but a masterpiece. Would recommend for everyone, and I mean it. The slapstick humour was unusual at first, but by episode 2 I was totally enjoying it. Top-tier cast and story, I think nothing could even come close among asian series I have watched so far. The length and pace here were basically perfect for one season, very uncommon for J-dramas usually, in my humble opinion. The only thing that was just a tiny bit missing for me was relationship development among supporting characters. Would have loved a second season but at least there are movies I can watch. The funny chemistry between the leads was just perfect. I didn't even long for more romance, the story just completely immersed me. Oh, and of course the soundtrack - amazing!

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