Reviews

A quick recap of Go Ahead without the emotional depth

When you create a remake especially of such a heartfelt story which I personally have rewatched 5 times it is inevitable to make comparisons and drawing parallels from the original storyline. While the original story had a longer play time it was obvious that some parts might be cut out from the original script but it didnt necessarily have to cut off the emotions. I just didnt feel the stress the children went through in the first few episodes, couldnt feel the childishness and the bond they had as teens, couldnt feel the pressure which pushed them to leave their hometowns at 18, couldnt feel the growing distance between them. All those scenes were simply shown like a DVD player on 2x speed. Go Ahead made me feel the struggles , the pain and the love that was there.
Going into character breakdown while Li jian jian had this childishness as a teen and a childish maturity as a grown up, her growth was evident, her confusions seemed vali but the Korean version simply broke it down to a naive kid losing the essence of the high spirited kid Li jian jian was and simply bringing in a regular girl. I mean right after Kim san ha ("Ling Xiao" in Go Ahead) confessed she was waiting for his texts the next day. Thats not what Jian jian would do, she would rather run away and hide while Ling Xiao finds her, that was the core and they ruined it.
Coming to Yang/Kang Hae Jun (He Zi Qiu), I believe they didn't really want to portray his side of the story, all they wanted to focus is the romance of Ju won and San Ha beacuse as far as at ep11 i dont see the pretentious facade ZiQiu had to hide the fact he was struggling. The moment when Jian Jian gave Zi Qiu some cash he just burst out in anger coz he had receieved more than enough and wanted to give back now, and Jian jian's offer just made him look pathetic but Hae Jun didnt even hesitate when Ju Won gave him her Card to buy clothes and shoes (i dont know if its a cultural thing, but i think chinese and korean people have similar east asian values). I think this is a point from whereon the character outline of Ziqiu in the korean version totally changes up.
Coming to the last main character that is Kim San Ha (Ling Xiao), while his story remains more or less same with all incidents except choice of career its shown in a very rushed manner, in the original version his mother's character would simply frustrate you to the extent that your heart sinks for Ling Xiao, but even though San Ha had the same struggles the rush makes it seem like he got things pretty easily, he got the girl quick after confession, he got the father's approval rather fast and his mother stopped bothering him pretty quickly and left, it was all too fast and lacking in details.
Overall, I think they failed to copy the essence of the original which had great comic timing and emotional depth topped by the beautiful character sketch and background music. I cant recall any tune that was memorable from this series. I wont deny that the ending few episodes (ep 11 to 16) did make me happy and made me smile, but i would credit that to the cuteness of Hae jun and his girlfriend falling for each other and other events surrounding it. Actually these few eps were just a long happy ending that makes the viewer happy.
In conclusion if you truly want an emotionally rich show watch " GO AHEAD" , if you want a quick binge and lightly mooded show watch "FAMILY BY CHOICE".

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Best Kiss

Gotta start with the Kiss in episode 10 -- boy that Idol can kiss & his acting partner backs it up -- the kiss is so good that you truly believe that this is fabulous acting -- there is something about the dual that you could never ship them but they acted the crap outta this series -- the premises is also very timely Kim Jae Yeong plays an Idol well & all the angst that accompanies being one -- the hopelessness of having to play for the fans & how quickly the public writes you off -- the reality that not all members of these groups nor the people surrounding them even like or support each other -- the reality once again of the extreme bulling culture in Asian films -- which you can only wonder is it also a real life issue in that country -- The awful fans is one thing but the awful parents is quite another. In all economic classes in this series the children are relentlessly hurt by the parents Choi Soo Young does an excellent job as the pent up lawyer with severe emotional trauma from childhood bulling & losing her parents All around good series

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Winds me up

Just Wow -- talk about demoralizing -- women's are there to provide coffee etc..... Sorry but Park Shin Hye doesn't nearly pull off a 20yr old vibe -- acting stupid isn't being a 20yr old -- sticking clips in your hair isn't neither -- she just does not look nor portray that character well -- she is a pretty actress & usually does well -- but her overacting is teeth rattling Ha Yoon Kyung is another misadventure but not nearly as awful as Cho Han Gyeol out of them all he detracts from a scene with his nonchalance which comes over as I'm pretty so that is all you should require. The supporting cast is why I will try to finish this series because believe me they hold this together so far that is all I can say

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It's a good watch if u skip ep 8 to 10. Gave BOF (Jun Pyo x Jandi) vibes but BL ver.

The drama is actually good. Like I'm not kidding it's good till ep 7 then it kinda gets boring cz there's no plot progress and then its good after ep 10. They should have just had this as a 10 episode drama and people would have loved it.

PerthChimon pairing is not bad although i like PerthSanta more. Them being in school did bother me a bit cz they were underage and doing all those things I'd have preferred if this was a university setting but then they wouldn't be able to bring the forced into havinga tutor troupe there so makes sense.

Surprisingly i liked MarcPawin pairing lot more than MarcPoon. Their story was interesting and cute too. I liked them more than the main couple.

I am a little sad about NameFah's ending cz i was really shipping them from episode 1 mafia x doctor kyaaaa that'd be soo good. I thought they were in love with each other secretly😭 but it was just bromance. I'm gonna delulu myself that they become lovers after Name gets out of jail.

If they removed the boring episodes completely and gave NameFah a better ending this drama would probably get a 10 from me.

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Good story, poor writing

The story is good.
But…
Hear me out…

The writer did a good job to tell about the severe criminal and violent school bullying (actually more torture then bullying imo) in Asia, especially in Korea.
But what was unnecessary and made this drama bad were the unnecessary n-dity scenes 🛁 🧖‍♀️.
They put it in the drama just to “catch” western watchers?!.
That ruined it.
I’ve seen some better drama’s telling about this issue, without any unnecessary scenes.

The writer could’ve focused more on the cultural view and social issues in Korea. And the messed up justice system.
How violence under the young citizens goes often unpunished. Because of age and influence.
Telling about that they just can skip the army by sitting in prison for a few months or a year or so or doing some community service as punishment…

What catcher my eye and was interesting, she put the cases together in one catching story: the hot iron, beating up in the ally, the women who worked at the same school as the child of her school bully and some more.
Also how the MC put all webs 🕸️ together to figure out how everything was connected to each other and discovered everyone’s secrets was a work of art in writing.

They could’ve actually made it a longer serie like in the old days, the splitting in two made the waiting unnecessary long for the viewers.

But the ending of this plot was…
Meh. (To be continued)

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I agree.. season 1 is better

Season 1 is better, but I still enjoyed watching Season 2.

I am very proud of and thankful to all the contestants who joined and participated in this competition.

Honestly, after watching Season 1, I was so tempted to travel and try the chefs' cuisines from their restaurants. And I will definitely do so if I visit that country or city.

Of course, Season 2 is good too, as new chefs are introduced, and I love the creativity and uniqueness of their cuisines.

I am probably not used to seeing new members... as you know, I'm so used to watching K-dramas, even with seasons, bahaha.

But most things are relatively similar to Season 1. But damn, I can tell they have a huge budget for this season.

And I loved it.

The winner? I was shocked.

But overall, I truly enjoyed this season as well. I will definitely look forward to Season 3.

I don't know. Watching this is fun.

This is my first time watching a cooking competition. I don't even watch the American one.

Hard work paid off! ♡♡
12:49 AM
12626

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Speculative fiction with a side of BL

Ok I did finish this somehow. TBH was a slog for me, and the het action halfway through was not what I had in mind. I think the biggest problem with this show is that it has a long chunk where they are debating philosophy, and it feels like they threw in all the high-minded ideas they could without it making sense. At one point, they referred to the characters as the 7 deadly sins, but the characters were not their embodiment. But it sounded cool, right? Kind of like adding the riddle game from the hobbit in for fun. I feel like a lot of this sounded cool to the writer but was either confusing or abysmally boring to watch. I fell asleep twice while watching this series because of the extended debates about philosophical ideas. There wasn't a lot to ground what was happening or why it was happening until the end. I will admit knowing the ending it MIGHT make more sense with a rewatch but I'm just not interested.

The biggest problem for this show was its opening marketing ploy, for it was mostly naked, lubed-up actor posters and a trailer filled with spicy BL NCs. But that wasn't what this series is about. It was a speculative fiction story that doesn't mesh that well with BL and has a very small section of the BL base that would even be interested in it. Yet the heavy use of BL-centric NCs, relationship dynamics, a ship couple, and promotional material meant that, aside from the BL audience, no one knew it existed.

If you are into sci-fi/ speculative fiction and like BL, this is probably an amazing series for you, maybe. But everyone else is confused or dislikes this show.

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A silly premise and rough around the edges but ultimately addictive good time.

This was really really goofy and requires huge suspense of disbelief but once you are willing to go along with the premise (and you will) there is alot of fun to be had.

Saito Kyoko did a good job of acting as an older woman in a young woman's body. I've never seen her in anything before and really enjoyed her in this. She's very intense but did have this air of maturity about her fitting for the role. Mizuno Miki was absolutely wonderful and had me practically in tears in the first episode. I've seen her in her younger days but I was very impressed here. She become a wonderful actress and should be getting bigger roles than she does now.

Unfortunately, the rest of the cast were doing a very different kind of acting which sort of lead to the drama feeling tonally mismatched at times. The villains were all rather ridiculous and hammy. It kind of worked but then the two leads would be giving realism and intense emotions. One minute Mizuno Miki is heart wrenching the next minute you're cringe laughing at Shinkawa Yua's villainous character. It makes you wonder which vibe the show was going for as it flip flops from sleazy ott drama to intense melodrama.

Oh and aside, I thought Shiroiwa Ruki was pretty awful. Stiff wooden acting and just a general drip. Very miscast and shown up frequently by the female leads.

The ride was really fun though and each episode was largely episodic and never felt too bloated. It seemed to just sort of fizzle away at the end and seemed to want to commit staying sort of neutral. Satisfying, yes? Memorable, probably not. But as a short-form format drama of just 20 minutes its a really easy watch and had enough highs to make me look forward to each weeks new episode. A rough around the edges but ultimately good time. My score is in a vacuum of the short form extreme revenge drama style shows. Don't be expecting anything profound here, but within its own niche its a good one.

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BL where? ?

This one doesn’t need the bl tag.
It’s just b without the l 😂
Maybe an action bromance could be the right genre for it not bl.
To be fair watching the first episode I seriously thought I was gonna like this. I’m already very picky with bls, I can count with my fingers the number of Thai bls I’ve watched. I really wanted to like this one but felt 🥱
I didn’t see any hint at romance between the main leads, perhaps it gets better I’ll never know dropped on ep 3.
Don’t get me wrong, I can watch a good bromance or any story as long as there’s sth for me to enjoy, well this one was kinda hard to like. Kudos for trying though. I guess I should just stick to reading manhwas

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Like any other justice and idol drama

The first episode let you see a tiny bit of the dangers of the so called Saseng Culture in Asia.
That moment looked promising to me.
But deeper into the serie it became like any other modern drama about idols and (in)justice.
I really hoped they would focus on the Saseng to be honest.
This drama also showed how Korean dramas became so westernised. It disappointed me.
The classic childhood trauma drama and high school trauma drama were not forgotten to put in this drama as well.😪

Beside this, the actors were good. And did a good job to make this drama watchable.

But if you skip I Dol I you won’t miss out tbh.

The actor Kim Jae-young who played Do-Ra Ik did a good job. I don’t think at all that he is to old to play an idol, he mentioned it in a previous interview.
The music in this drama is good.
Other roles might be more suiting to him.

Actress Soo-Young did a good job as well.
But her character was off.
She supposed to be a great winning lawyer, but acts like a 16yo fangirl in private life felt really off.

To summarise my opinion:
-first episode looked promising
-the drama is just like any other idol and justice drama we’ve watched before
-it’s a westernised drama
-actors were good and did a good job
-poor writing
- good music
- you won’t miss out if you don’t watch this drama 👍🏼

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A Romance Built on Patience and Growth

As a big fan of slow-burning romances, Shine on Me feels like a masterclass in how to develop a relationship in a healthy, patient, and emotionally intelligent way. It does not try to reinvent the genre, but it stands out because of its warmth, emotional depth, and beautifully written characters. Instead of relying on shock value or exaggerated drama, the story focuses on growth, yearning, and the kind of love that helps people become better versions of themselves.

The pacing may feel slightly slow at first, especially with the early college arc and some business related subplots, but these moments serve as an important foundation. They show who Nie Xiguang is before love reshapes her life. We see her insecurities, her crush, her disappointments, and her gradual realization that she wants to stand on her own rather than rely on others. Her development is not sudden. It is layered, natural, and satisfying to watch. She starts unsure of herself and slowly grows into someone confident, capable, and strong in both love and career.

Lin Yusen is one of the best written male leads in modern romance dramas. Formerly a top neurosurgeon forced to step away from medicine after an accident, he carries quiet resilience and emotional maturity. He is a complete green flag. His love for Xiguang is built on patience, respect, and understanding. He never pressures her, never rushes her feelings, and always shows up when she needs him most. Watching him fall in love is gentle and powerful at the same time. His pursuit is not flashy but steady, which makes the romance feel realistic and deeply comforting.

What truly makes the drama special is the dynamic between the main couple. Their relationship is based on security, communication, and mutual support rather than misunderstandings. The chemistry between Song Weilong and Zhao Jinmai is outstanding. Their eye contact, subtle glances, and soft flirting make you feel like a quiet third wheel in the best way. Their scenes feel warm, natural, and full of yearning. The drama also does a great job showing the contrast between a love that makes you doubt yourself and a love that helps you flourish. With Yusen, Xiguang feels safe, confident, and encouraged to grow.


The supporting cast adds meaningful texture. Jiang Rui, Xiguang’s cousin, is a standout with his charisma, protectiveness, and warmth. Xiguang’s mother is another strong presence, portraying a capable entrepreneur who supports her daughter’s choices while navigating her own growth. The workplace family at Guangyu Photovoltaic brings sincerity and realism, and the show even manages to weave in informative details about the solar industry in a way that feels grounded rather than distracting.

Zhuang Xu, the second male lead, is one of the more complex and human characters. He represents missed opportunities caused by fear and insecurity. Coming from a less privileged background, he is intelligent but trapped by his own self doubt. His passive aggression and indecision make him frustrating, yet also strangely sympathetic. The drama does not romanticize him, and his arc becomes a painful study of how hesitation can cost you happiness.

Visually and technically, the drama is not perfect. Some green screen and background effects are noticeably weak and take you out of the moment. A few subplots are drawn out longer than necessary, and certain business arcs feel heavier than they need to be. However, these flaws never fully overshadow what works best, which is the emotional core of the story.

One small wish is that we could have seen more of the couple after officially getting together, since much of the drama focuses on the journey toward love rather than life inside it. Still, the conclusion delivers warmth and closure that many modern romances fail to provide.

What impressed me most is that I watched nearly twenty seven hours of content without feeling bored. Instead of feeling tired, I kept wanting to continue. That alone says a lot. The clichés exist, but they are hidden well enough that the story never feels predictable. There are no forced childhood fate tropes or exaggerated trauma devices. The drama chooses sincerity over spectacle.

Another strong aspect of Shine on Me is how well the female lead and her entire surrounding world are written. Nie Xiguang is not just lovable, she is layered. She starts off a little unsure and emotionally soft, but never foolish. What makes her arc special is how naturally she grows. You see her slowly gain confidence, learn to rely on herself, and become stronger in both love and career without losing her warmth, empathy, or cheerfulness. She is not suddenly “bossy” overnight, and she is not reduced for romance either. Instead, she matures into a woman who knows her worth, stands up for her relationship, and supports her partner just as much as he supports her.

Her family and relatives are equally engaging. Xiguang’s uncle, aunt, grandparents, and cousin all feel like real people rather than filler characters. Jiang Rui especially stands out as the protective, charismatic cousin who adds humor and emotional safety to the story. The older generation is written with care, giving depth to family dynamics instead of unnecessary conflict. Their presence adds warmth, realism, and emotional grounding to Xiguang’s journey.

The business side characters and senior cast are also surprisingly enjoyable. Instead of feeling stiff or decorative, they bring credibility to the corporate world of Guangyu. Their acting feels natural, their styling is appropriate and polished, and it suits their age, status, and personalities perfectly. From executives to relatives, everyone looks and behaves like they belong in the world of the drama. Good styling combined with strong performances makes the environment feel lived-in rather than staged.

What I appreciated most is that almost every side character feels intentional. No one exists just to create noise. Whether family, colleagues, or relatives, they all add something meaningful to the emotional or professional growth of the leads. That sense of completeness is part of why the drama stays engaging for so many hours without becoming tiring.

At its heart, Shine on Me is about yearning, healing, and becoming stronger through love. Lin Yusen and Nie Xiguang are both emotionally mature, considerate, and supportive, sometimes almost too good to feel real, yet incredibly satisfying to watch. Their romance is built on warmth, respect, and genuine partnership.

If you love slow burn romances with intelligent writing, healthy communication, and powerful chemistry, Shine on Me truly lives up to its name. It is not flawless, but it shines where it matters most, in the hearts of its characters and the love they build together.

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I watched this drama up to episode 18, then decided to quit. It did not hold my interest and was unrealistic in some areas. Too much attention on the FL. She is portrayed as being more intelligent in military strategy than the military general and all the thousands of soldiers in the army. Just does not make sense in this area. It dragged too much. Also she does not look like a man at all. Dead give away is no adam's apple and her voice sounds like a woman. The ML did a good job for what I watched. The main leads were not a good match. Not worth an 8.6 rating to me.

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Dynamite Kiss Review - ZyKuu

"A kiss that sparks a romantic predicament" - The story was very engaging at first but then as the show took its course the plot began to lose me. A lot of topics and key elements went untouched and disregarded. The ending was unsatisfying to be blunt. The female lead Go Da-rim and was great in her role, although I would say that she was not that entertaining for me. The male lead Gong Ji-hyeok was the star of the show for me. For whatever the reason may be I found him to be hilarious. His facial expressions are tremendous and he has a certain way of catching and keeping your attention. The second leads Kim Seon-u and Yu Ha-yeong are important characters whom I felt could have had more screen time. Seon-u and his son Jun could have been explored more as I found their dynamic together to be heartwarming. I find Ha-yeong to be a very attractive woman and I wished to see more of her during the show. With regards to how her plot line went, I was disappointed with the end result. I just hoped that both Seon-u and Ha-yeong could have been focused on more and prioritized. Both Ha-yeong and Ji-hyeok's siblings were characters that helped add some flavour to the plot and I enjoyed their dynamic together. The side cast did well aswell. The OST was amazing and had a different type of song to match each mood. In conclusion, This series did very well in the comedy aspect and had a lot of potential, but it could have been executed better. Regardless it was a nice watch and I would recommend this to any casual watchers.

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"Unified desperation"

The lure of a female serial killer played by Go Hyun Jung was too much of a lure for me to avoid. Jang Dong Yoon as her estranged detective son was the final bait to make me sit down and watch Queen Mantis.

Serial killer Jung I Sin was given a sweetheart deal in exchange for her confession. She lives her life in relative luxury for someone on death row. Everyone but a handful of people think she died in prison. So when a copycat begins using her playbook to gruesomely off their victims Choi Jung Ho cajoles Cha Su Yeol into joining his investigative team, as I Sin will only to talk to the feisty detective, who also happens to be her son.

The format felt overly familiar and parts of it were reminiscent of Alias when Spy Mama was incarcerated and would only talk with Sydney or Silence of the Lambs, etc. “I’ll only talk to…” is a worn-out trope. If you are going to use a classic recipe, execution is key. This was where QM was hit or miss. I Sin was hands down the most compelling character and her screen time was limited in the first 6 eps. I wasn’t heavily invested in the side characters or the numerous scenes of Cha yelling or crying. There was a great deal of repetition which could have been fixed by tightening the script.

The drama served up a whole can of red herrings which diluted the intensity. Despite the numerous killings, QM lacked urgency. Keeping Cha’s past a secret seemed more important than hunting down the killer(s). The cops’ feelings and abilities were often fickle. And Cha’s marriage only served to offer up more man pain, with Lee Jung Yeon being particularly underdrawn. The lovely Lee El’s Kim Na Hui was a basket of contradictions. She couldn’t just be a competent cop, she also had to be alluded to as a bad mom numerous times and unable to stand up for herself when passed over for a promotion.

QM attempted to show how traumatic abuse and sexual assault are often ignored by society leading to broken people who keep the torturous cycle spinning. Authority characters made excuses for men beating and sexually assaulting women and children, because isn't there always an excuse? In this drama, I Sin became judge and executioner, a grotesquely twisted super hero for the weak and unheard.

7.5/10.0 is my rating for an average drama. Watchable but nothing too memorable. What will be memorable was Go Hyun Jung’s understated performance. She wasn’t afraid to go “ugly”---no noticeable makeup or hair styling. Because she was often seated at a table or shackled, she couldn’t gesticulate with her hands or go the glam route with hair acting. She conveyed a wealth of feelings subtly and meted out her emotional explosions when they made the most impact. I Sin was smart, resourceful, and badly damaged--- a lethal mantis---capable of attacking cruelly without remorse or pity. Not a role model by any means, but fascinating to watch.

25 January 2026

Trigger warnings: Severed body parts and heads. Torture. Child abuse. Sexual assault alluded to and in its most cruel form. Bugs in the form of beetles if you are super sensitive to them.

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