Reviews

Guo Yu Xin playing a girlboss who rides a motorbike and never cries. Something different!

I found this drama on Guo Yu Xin's drama playlist on YouTube. I realised this drama did not have a MDL page so I submitted it as New Title. I did not know what to expect but watched the drama and I must say I was pleasantly surprised.

What I liked:
1. FL characterisation - Lan Yu Xi was a girlboss. She had set professional goals and was focused on achieving it. I liked that quality. I also liked her quiet confidence. It was nice to see Guo Yu Xin in this role - she rode a motorbike & did not cry in this drama!
2. Corporate espionage - ML was sent by his grandfather to steal FL's recipes. What an exciting premise! There was also an arc involving another rival of FL.
3. ML characterisation - Hahaha it was wonderful to see ML training to become a waiter at FL's restaurant. He was likeable and didn't follow his grandpa's instructions. Wang Ze Yi was good in his role.
4. Supporting characters - I lliked Dong Dong, Assistant Wang, ML's grandpa & mother, FL's mother and Liu Jia Jiao.
5. Romance - Slow burn but rewarding. Good kisses, hugging, quality time spending together. I liked that they bonded over their love for cooking.
6. Antagonist - I liked that the antagonist is a business rival and not a white moonlight. This antagonist arc had substance.

Disliked:
1. Lan Ling Er - Jealous cousin but no substance. Power / status hungry.

Favourite scene
When ML auditioned to be an employee of The Inn

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Is it anything special? No — but that doesn't mean it's not enjoyable.

This is the kind of story where more things work out happily than they do in real life, but who cares? Sometimes series can just be feel-good, can't they? Everything doesn't have to play out like a Scorsese movie all the time, does it?

It stayed at seven stars for me throughout most of the series because it was precious and supportive, and the characters were great... but then the climax hit and I immediately bumped it up a star. This show was so lovely — the perfect balance of simplicity while still hitting important themes like friendship, understanding, responsibility, forgiveness, and love.

I could call the series predictable: just an average rom-com, nothing special. Except for In's magical abilities, the story is pretty simple. And yet… I flew through the episodes. My jaw hurt from smiling, then I furrowed my brow because I wanted to slap some people, and then my lips turned up in a smile again.

And that was it.

It was so sweet. They were so sweet — ugh, I can't. They made my heart scream.

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DARK PAST, TWISTED MINDS

Queen mantis is a creepy and gritty crime thriller that revolves around a copycat killer case while digging into the dark disturbing past of its characters. It is unsettling in the best way and manages to hold your attention tightly, even if the story itself isn't exactly new.

Jung I Sin's character is the standout for me. Her disturbing childhood explains a lot about her psychotic behavior. The highlight of the drama for me is episode 3, during the confession scene between the two leads. It was eerie, intense, and unforgettable.

On the detective side, Su Yeol's character and the his co detective team unfortunately don't have much chemistry. Their interaction feel a bit off which makes the investigations side of story less exciting compared the darker plot lines.

I was able to guess the killer early on but what caught me was the revelation about the old man who called himself a pastor. That twist for me gives an extra punch for the finale.

While the story isn't particularly unique, it's told in a way that's engaging and well paced. It delivers a disturbing psychological crime story with some good moments and acting. If you enjoy dark thrillers and don't mind a familiar set up, give it a watch.

Plot 7/10
Acting and Characters 8.5/10
Cinematography 8/10
Writing 7/10
Pacing 8/10
OST/Score 6.5/10

Overall 7.5/10

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Intriguing opening scene but once cover was blown, drama became bland

Ok I have to admit - I really really like Ji Jun Liang's visuals that I recently developed a habit of watching his new releases. As expected, I was disappointed by this drama.

What I liked:
1. Opening scene - The paparazzo scene at the start was exciting because it was something I had not seen in Chinese dramas.
2. Styling - The disguise was awesome. The pink wig looked gorgeous on the main actress.
3. Ji Jun Liang - Wow, he got to show us his body. His face card is top notch as expected.
4. Kisses - Good kissing scenes thanks to JJL. His character always initiated it.

What I disliked;
1. Romance - Lacklustre.
2. FL characterisation - She was silly like always fumbling. She was also cowardly - always scared of someone. I couldn't believe the things she did to ML.
3. Acting - The main actress was so inexperienced because her acting was very underwhelming. The only thing I liked about her was when she wore the pink wig - that persona was confident & self-assured.

Favourite scene
Opening scene

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good games but nothing make sense

-if you are here for the games you will be happy
-if you are here for the plot you might feel pissed
-if you are here for both you might have mixed reactions like me
i enjoyed the games, so Id give it around a 7.5 or 8, but the plot felt messy and a lot of things dont make sense. Banda and Ryuji’s behaviors, for example. The final episode pissed me off, i felt like they could have just won the games and gone home instead of adding so much extra drama which doesnt make sense anyway. they keep hinting at American versions when an Asian show get successful, first in Squid Game S3 and now in Alice in Borderland S3, which felt unnecessary and a turn off. And both even included a baby, which is overused for sympathy. It almost makes me wonder if both teams had a talk or a deal to both include those events
the good point is that at least this s3 is better than squid game s3

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All Hype, No Substance

Bon Appétit promised a lot with Yoona in the lead role, but the result turned out to be a major disappointment.

The finale spends almost the entire episode on the rebellion against the king, in scenes that feel almost copied from Mr. Queen. What should have been thrilling quickly dissolves into a predictable climax. Even the long-awaited love confession feels flat, lacking passion or emotional weight.

The ending, where she returns to the present and reunites with him, arrives without logic or convincing explanation. It all happens simply “because it has to,” leaving the audience to fill the gaps on their own.

In the end, Bon Appétit is neither a memorable K-drama nor a strong romance. It’s a recycled, sugary, and directionless story. The only thing sustaining the buzz around it is the fandom, unwilling to admit that their favorite stars ended up leading a trainwreck of a series.

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I took me 4 days to get over the end and 1 week to finally write a review.
How to say... I did expect them to die but it was worst than dying... Being forced to live in a relationship you don't want, not being able to tell the one you love why you can't runaway with him...

I'm actually sad for the two women who got cheated on. Even though being a gay in the 60's must have been hard, getting cheat on and on top of that get "abandonned" by your boyfriend would be hard for a woman in the 60's. I don't know how woman were percieved in thailand in the 60's but in my country, women were see as nothing without a man, no bank account, no job, no propriety.

I loved how they talk about politicts first and then homosexulaty but still in a politic way.

Thank you Shine to showing us a great lovestory and politics information about thailand.
And thank you Slot Machine for the two ost. But the others singers too.

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The cinematography saved this

I agree with the other reviews saying this started strong. I don't about others but this initially gave me Given vibes.

What I liked:
Number 1 in the list is the cinematography. I can't explain why Japan dramas are just so aesthetically pleasing. Their cinematography is just chef's kiss. Even the way the sun casts shadows is beautiful.

Next, the main actors' acting were pretty decent too. Although, I feel like it's too short to build enough chemistry.

Room for improvements:
After the confession in the roof top, everything crumbled. I feel like the story needed a bit more time to really develop the second arc (the post high school life). We don't even know what happened to the MC'S family. The world building after high school was basically nonexistent.

They could've have given us a few more songs or music considering the MC is a musician. For a series with a musician as the main character, the soundtrack could be better.

I noticed J dramas in general tend to bathe in silence lol. Sometimes, I want them to just talk it out.

Overall verdict:
Depth of Field isn't the worst series aired this year but it's nowhere near close to being in the pool of the good ones.

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Well-written & acted crime thriller drama with a huge dose of bromance

I have to admit that it’s been months since I last watched a Shen Hao Nan drama. I have never seen Cai Xin Yang’s work before plus the fact that this drama is tagged as Thriller and Mystery got me excited. It was hard to get links to drama with English subtitles, I almost gave up. Thankfully Jwells shared links to this drama. I loved it!

What I liked:
1. Cai Xin Yang - I have to be honest - I was captivated by Cai Xin Yang’s performance and looks. Oh, I found Cai Xin Yang sexy! I don’t remember seeing a vertical actor looking mighty FINE in jeans paired with white shirt or black shirt. Those arms! It was also great to see Cai Xin Yang doing action scenes.
2. Chen Ye characterisation - He got the grittiness, pessimism and quick-to-take-action qualities I expect in a police character. I also liked that he wasn’t a perfect cop. There were moments when he was not thinking objectively. That’s normal because cops are humans too.
3. Jiang Yan Bai characterisation - His character fascinated me: i) his personality was a contrast to Chen Ye’s personality, ii) his relationship with Chen Ye and Chen Ye's brother. Given his profession, Jiang Yan Bai analysed the situation first before providing insights but he never pushed the police to accept his views just because he had academic qualifications (you know how stuffy professors can be). He had the quiet confidence which complemented Detective Chen Ye’s more commanding presence.
4. Acting - I mentioned earlier about enjoying Cai Xin Yang's performance. He is lesser known in the world of vertical drama but he had charisma to be the first lead! I really enjoyed Shen Hao Nan’s performance - this is my favourite role of his. The supporting cast especially the three police officers did well in their roles too.
5. Writing - I was engrossed in this drama. Brilliant crime thriller story told in two hours. I liked the very subtle hint of the perpetrator - I knew the creepy florist wasn’t the main culprit! I also liked the science explanation for the meds and crime procedure although I was not sure how accurate the facts were.
6. Styling - I liked the contrasting outfits worn by both leads. Chen Ye's outfits had an edgy look whereas Jiang Yan Bai wore more softer colours. My favourite outfit worn by Chen Ye is the outfit he wore for shooting practice while my favourite outfit worn by Jiang Yan Bai is the long beige coat paired with white shirt and black trousers.
7. Bromance - Ok there were too many bromance moments that I thought are disguising the love they had for each other. I found it funny that one moment even make it to my 'ML in bathtube' MDL list.

What I disliked:
1. The ending - I did not like the ending though. What’s with the epilogue? Is it a hint for season 2 or something else???
2. Assault - Chen Ye saved Jiang Yan Bai from being stabbed. I was puzzled by his way of saving him. Why didn’t Chen Ye kick the assailant or use his gun?

Favourite scene
The refrigerated truck scene

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