Reviews

build up done right

this show had some silly moments (I feel that basically all Chinese shows I’ve watched falls into a pit of filler episodes where the realistic story goes off the rails and some odd things happen, here when the Wang brothers came I was a little like, okay this is ridiculous) but it was overall done well. the beginning was a bit slow but I loved how we did get a realistic build up of the two playing basketball and slowly getting to know each other. also the ost is so good (especially loved the English songs included in the soundtrack)!!

maybe a tad too much focus on the snakes though lol

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12: The Drama That Should’ve Stayed in the Drafts

If you value your time, your sanity, or even the tiniest shred of respect for good acting, skip this disaster. 12 isn’t just bad; it’s the kind of bad that makes you question every life choice that led you to press play.
I was excited at first. The cast was (is) Top-tier. The concept? Promising. I thought we’d get something smart and thrilling, maybe in line with Moving (2023), with its superhuman flair and team dynamics. Instead, what we got was a tragic waste of talent and a storyline so nonsensical it could have been written by a sleep-deprived raccoon with a keyboard. From start to end, it was so sloppy and rushed, and still, there was no story at all.

The zodiac element sounded like a really cool idea in theory, but then it was butchered into nonsense. The directing? All over the place. The pacing? Torture. Even the acting, which should’ve been the saving grace, fell flat, probably because the actors themselves knew what a dumpster fire they were stuck in. Watching brilliant performers drowned in this chaos was genuinely painful.

I’ve endured some questionable dramas in my time, but nothing compares to the train wreck that is 12. It didn’t just waste potential, it assassinated it. Honestly, I need my eight hours back, a refund for my patience, and maybe even therapy for the emotional damage.

12 isn’t a drama. It’s a crime against storytelling.

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Good but not perfect

It's a very good drama if you look beyond the illogical things that's going on.

Honestly, whenever I see the word "fantasy" or "supernatural" in a very normal drama, I immediately turn off my brain cells, because I know that it would piss me off with ridiculous and illogical situations. And Boy!!! Little did I know that this would be the best decision to make before starting this.

This drama lacks many things, but be that as it may, that didn't change the fact that this is a very good drama.

I kinda have to say the positives and negatives because how else am I going to explain how is this good and bad at the same time.

First a big shout out to Martin Wong, he singlehandedly carried the whole show, and he didn't disappoint at all, he was spectacular.
The rest of the cast were good too, no one was bad or cringe and chemistry was smooth and enjoyable, also a fair amount of kisses and making out (for people who enjoy those things, you are in for a treat)

Story is pretty simple, soul exchange then falling in love with the new person, but as a BL not a straight couple. It was entertaining, the pace is nice and little to no unanswered questions (as it usually tends to be with these type of dramas), cast was good, I loved Yaron Qiu, he nailed his role and gained a new fan.

However...
The story is simple but messy, like what is the point, what are we focusing on? The grandpa or the grandson? Xia Cha or Xia Ze Fang?? Also the way they messed up Hai Yuan character from cool and poised to clingy childish and impulsive character is overwhelming!! He basically became Guan Ri Qing... I see no difference, I even wanted Ze Feng to come back so that the grandpa and Hai Yuan won't be an endgame....

Nevertheless, I can understand that for the sake of "character development" or degradation in this case but anyway, also the fact that Xia Cha has been a straight guy who doesn't even fathom the idea of two men falling in love, and you turn him into a gay guy who falls in love with a boy his grandson age??? Good lord! What the heck was that writer high on??? Also the 70YO man is too childish I couldn't stomach it in some scenes, how come he is that innocent acting like a 10 YO kid who knows and understand nothing of this world, despite being a very very lovely character, in some scenes I was questioning who he is actually!!!

Another thing I didn't like but it's generally presented in some BLs is that every guy is gay, and every woman is a lesbian, no straight characters whatsoever, and I'm not saying that because I want to see straight characters in BL, I couldn't care less, but the fact that you assert and show that every single side character has a partner of the same gender is just a bit too much, unnecessary and superficial.

After saying all that I'm embarrassed to say that I actually liked it, because it was actually good, but you definitely have to shut your brain down to be able to enjoy it.

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Best example of short and sweet

A painpoint I have with recent GMMTV BL series is when they go off track and/or force the comedy or drama into the plot. That’s where I struggle to complete an episode or a serie. I was pleasantly surprised that I didn’t have it with this one. In fact I managed to finish all 4 episodes in one go, as I enjoyed it so much.

The plot has a clear objective, and so do the characters and their personas. The conflicts, resolutions and even the build up to sweet moments are not overdone. The chemistry of the main couple and the friend group is great, and the romance and struggles are realistic and relatable for their age.

As predictable as the “plot twist” was, the writer/s managed to cross the bridge with little difficulty and give us a satisfying and heartwarming ending. It reminded me of the days of my youth — pressure that came from expectations as well as the feeling of falling in love for the first time.

Writing is proper, the cinematography is top notch, and of course, it’s not a thai show without the quirky SFX.

4-episodes and I wouldn’t ask for more. This show achieved what it was meant to achieve.

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A captivating trilogy on "living in interesting times" as a wronged woman and individual

Three stories, the 1st set in the late Republican period, the 2nd in an early Communist period and the 3rd in "roaring 90s", in the same city (Shanghai), all stories greatly "witnessed" by the same house, which was a family home (later a hospital/working place) of the first female protagonist, a working and living place of the second and the third FL: three women of different generations sharing a mutual family bond and leaving their "footprints", their life stories, romances, spirits and strenghts for each new generation to come, symbolically conveyed to the audience with passing the pocket watch (gifted to the first FL by her husband) on to the next generation .

The setting of all three stories is historically and visually impeccable in every detail, object, costume and prop, helping a viewer to fully immerse in the time treated in each arc. Visual aesthetics of the first two stories are furtherly accentuated by framed chiaro-scuro shots under porches and arcades, looking like paintings or precious old photos. This clear and sophisticated retro vibe is replaced by "modern antiques" bursting colours in the third story. The artistic department covering three different period of times and the camerawork are perfect, 10/10. The choice of classical music and Chinese folk tunes serves well particularly in the 2nd story, where it is almost part of the script: FL and ML get closer thanks to their love for fine arts in general (FL is a designer and a painter), it helps them to understand each other.

But the overall tune of the three stories is different, each fitting the time and type of storytelling. The first story is a pure narrative, told by the 2nd FL (an elderly lady at the moment of storytelling) to the 3rd FL (her grandaughter) in the lowest moment in life of the latter (it isn't clear if she tempted a suicide or collapsed due to a shock of being unintentionally involved in a fraud and money embezzlement). That's the reason why the first story flows so well, scenes and episodes follow the memories and story telling of an old woman who is an artist herself, who deeply loved and respected her aunt (1st FL), a doctor who studied abroad, coped with difficult family issues, challenged societal norms and had a beautiful love story with her uncle. Excellent dialogues, acting and directing fully delivered that story.

Having a terrible father and a weak mother, this aunt was the only person YiYi (2nd FL) could count on. She was her polar star and a rolemodel to follow even when they've lost contact and she ought to face even greater challenges. Two actresses who impersonated the 2nd FL did an amazing job. Great story, great acting, aesthetics and subtle use of arts are the reasons why there was no drop in the overall quality as it happened in the War of Faith when the story turned from the (opulent) Republican to (poor) Communist era in Shanghai.

The plot and dialogues, although simplified and sometimes overdramatised to fit into the format of 10 eps per arc, are credible and sufficient both to characterise persons involved and realistically depict the time and the environment. Probably, the story in the 2nd arc is closest to real historical setting I've seen of this period in any Chinese drama (also because it avoided to deepen certain events and purges in the first 5 years of Communist takeover, while how the Cultural Revolution impacted the story was only hinted and not particularly deepened). An incredibly credible story, which feels both realistic and poetic.

After these two dramatic stories, full of turbulences, the third felt... anticlimatic. Again, the environment was faithfully represented, the actors did their job etc., but the story was not captivating enough. It has its good aspects (politics, business and relations are actually interesting as they were in previous arcs), but, imo, it fails to explain the characters as they were explained in the the 1st and the 2nd. The 3rd FL is emotionally volatile, maybe even unstable (that's why I've thought she tried a suicide), domineering towards her boyfriend for no reason. Having such a great grandma, she shouldn't be like that... The always upright 3rd ML doesn't shine either and the chemistry between the leading actors is not particularly credible. Maybe, we should take their story as a passage obligé to hand down the pocket watch to some future descendant who will live in more demanding times. Despite these flows regarding mainly the 3rd story, I strongly recommend you to watch this well-written, well-crafted and performed drama.

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A mess but not in a good way

I really wanted to enjoy it… but no, it just doesn’t work for me.

The characters Maevika and Ai frustrated me the most. Their relationship makes no sense: at the start, we’re told they’ve known each other since high school and that Ai has been attracted to Maevika since then, but after that… nothing. It’s never brought up again. So many ideas are introduced and then completely abandoned, serving no real purpose in the story.

And sorry, but the way Ai is written is problematic. She spends several episodes harassing, even sexually harassing, Maevika… and then, a few episodes later, we’re suddenly supposed to believe she sincerely loves her and that this situation is painful for her? It’s just not believable.

I hate when writers treat their audience like fools. There were so many better, smarter ways to handle this storyline.

The second couple was also completely sidelined: no depth, just a few random scenes here and there. It’s really frustrating because the actresses clearly gave their best, but the directing is an absolute mess.

Even the villains aren’t compelling. The two fathers traumatize their daughters just to win an auction… and then they get away with it, no consequences whatsoever? Not even a slap on the wrist!

And as for Maevika and Ai being “endgame,” I just can’t buy it. Their relationship makes no sense. I love toxic stories, but not when they’re written like this.

I really hope LMSY comes up with a much better series next time.

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SO CUTE

had so much fun watching this as it was airing, this is my first seakeen series and i loved their chemistry!!

the acting felt natural and their lovey dovey moments just had me giggling kicking my feet, such a shame it was only 4 episodes 😭😭. I’m definitely watching only boo after this cause I have not gotten enough of them.

But yeah this was a very chill, good vibe drama with cute high school romance that gets you giddy and fun characters, no toxicity, no stress just a fun watch, so would deffo recommend to anyone who loves those kind of series!!

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Third Time’s The Charm

First off, for something meant to be a short, cliché drama, it dragged on and had plenty of scenes that could’ve been done way better. One thing I actually liked is that she’s not reborn or from another world, that alone saves it a bit. She’s strong, and for almost half the story she doesn’t fall into the usual weird or cringe behavior, until she’s exposed as a woman. After that, it feels like the ML takes over as the main character and hogs the screen time, while the FL starts acting completely out of character. It would’ve been way more interesting to actually see her train as a young woman and go through those struggles.

Notes!! And the ending? Totally unexpected so yeah, keep your eyes open for that one.

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When love and jealousy collide

You and Everything Else captured the messy beauty of love from warmth to hurt and betrayal. It also shows how relationships are not as perfect or effortless. It dives into the push and pull of emotions, showing how love can transform into resentment and how jealousy and insecurities has the power to break even the strongest bonds.

The acting was raw, the chemistry was intense and the story might seem exaggerated but yet it could happen in real life. I found myself thinking… If it was me, I don’t think I could ever forgive a friend for that kind of betrayal. Yet, Ryu Eun Jung’s decision to stay by her side showed a kind of bravery I admired and struggled to understand.

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WONDERFUL DRAMA

As a devoted enthusiast of **wuxia storytelling** and Chinese historical dramas, I approached "The Journey of Legend" with both excitement and measured expectations. Having now immersed myself in this extraordinary series, I can confidently declare it not just one of the best productions of 2025, but quite possibly **a landmark achievement** in the evolution of the wuxia genre. This breathtaking adaptation of Wen Rui An's novel "Shen Zhou Qi Xia" (神州奇侠) transcends conventional storytelling, blending **time-travel elements** with classic martial arts philosophy to create something truly unique in the television landscape .

The series follows Xiao Ming Ming (brilliantly portrayed by Cheng Yi), a contemporary writer who finds himself transported into the very martial arts world he created using his company's innovative "Magic Compendium" system. Forced to navigate this dangerous realm as his character Xiao Qiu Shui, he must evolve from an inexperienced novice into a true hero while confronting multiple versions of himself, including the formidable antagonist Li Chenzhou . This **metanarrative framework** adds intellectual depth to the thrilling action, creating a sophisticated exploration of identity, destiny, and the very nature of heroism.

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It was all in his head

If you don’t recognize my profile picture, Ms. Minutes, you should know I have a deep appreciation for time-travel narratives and the intricate storytelling they can achieve. This series certainly set out to explore those complexities, but in execution, the timeline is poorly conveyed and often frustratingly incoherent.

Episodes 1 - 4 leave the audience in the dark about a crucial narrative device: Great’s dual timelines. In one, he saves people using his four-minute vision; in the other, he does not. The reveal comes far too late, and by that point I was more mentally exhausted than intrigued. To make matters worse, the show frequently shuffles scenes that take place before Dome’s death and after, a disorienting choice that dilutes emotional impact. And then, in episode 7, we learn that none of it “actually” happened. It was all in Great’s head. It happened when he was coding during 4 minutes lack of oxygen. There was no seeing the future 4 minutes ahead...NOTHING! That revelation undermines the tension built up across the earlier episodes.

There are also narrative threads that feel like they don't belong to neither timeline. For example, the woman at the temple who shakes a fortune-telling bowl before inexplicably hiring a hitman. Or the hooded figure who stoned to death someone with no identity revealed. Or the unseen character who secretly records Title and Great disposing of Dome’s body, only to discard the evidence in the mud rather than hand it to police. Even more glaring is the disappearance of Title’s supposed girlfriend, who is introduced only to be erased from the story as if she never existed. Aslo, we do not know who killed Title's Dad, the Police Chief.

Most troubling is Tyme’s storyline. His parents and grandmother were brutally murdered, yet there is no real closure. The man who killed them ends up bedridden and incapacitated (NOT by Tyme but by his occupational hazard. he was badly beaten by some random guy and ended up in ICU), but Great’s parents who were deeply complicit in the killings escape accountability entirely. This lack of resolution is disappointing, especially when Tyme’s grief and quest for justice were positioned as the emotional backbone of the series.

When you consider it, more than half of the series’ events never “happened.” That choice robs the story of consequence and leaves major arcs unresolved. I will give credit where it is due: the cinematography, lighting, editing, and performances were consistently strong. The production design deserves recognition as well. But in the end, I walked away unsatisfied. The series promised a layered time-travel narrative, yet delivered a disjointed and incomplete experience.

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extrovert vs introvert

Idk why people always say “why Min Jun is like that?”… actually he’s just an introvert. I understand him because I’m also like that. It’s not that he doesn’t want to hang out or understand people, it’s just that he can’t. That’s his nature. Normal people might never really get it.

Min Jun is the type of person who thinks, “what’s mine is only mine.” He doesn’t want to share, not because he’s selfish, but because that’s his way of protecting himself and the things he treasures. For him, love and care are very private things, not something to show off to the world.

What I liked in Business As Usual is how the story doesn’t try to “fix” him but instead shows how someone can slowly open up when they meet the right person. His relationship feels realistic—awkward at first, but so warm when you look deeper. The drama beautifully captures how introverts love differently: quietly, deeply, and with their whole heart.

It made me feel like Min Jun is not “weird,” he’s just unique. And maybe that’s why I could connect to him so much.

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