Reviews

I genuinely think the first season was better than this one and it was not because this cast was bad or they are bad actors. it's because there was no commitment to the characters, either from the actors themselves or the director. this show is meant to be messy and to showcase these new adults relationships and behavior in the situations they were put in. It looked like they were scared to kiss people outside of their fixed couple when it made total sense for their character to do so. I feel like stuff was cut that was meant to make us care for certain characters that did these big things or were from the past, in the end it didn't have the desired effect.
AouBoom is what made me come back and catch up with the show, because I was bored halfway thru. it was kind of stuck.

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Nothing Burger

The entire series kind of felt like it was the ascent of a roller coaster that never reached the drop. The buildup at the beginning really hooked me and then as the episodes went on it gave the sense that nothing ever actually happened. Once I got to episode 10 it almost felt pointless to finish it off because everything was either predictable or just not worth it watching. In the first season even the final episode had twists and things still kept you sitting up but by episode 5 in this one I was already losing interest.

We’d get these over reactions by the characters but then you’d think about what caused the over reaction and it just didn’t add up to the feeling they wanted you to feel. For example in season 1 it made so much sense for Mew to get mad at Top and Boston for what they did and even you as the viewer felt mad with him but the “climax” of the show being a slow dance and an almost kiss made everything feel like a huge outburst for no reason.

The most annoying part of them all was all the fake outs. Why try to constantly build this moment of “omg what will they do???” for absolutely nothing to occur? By the time I got to the halfway point I couldn’t ever feel like I was on the edge of my seat because I knew exactly what was coming. Two characters would get really close and then one would pull back or they’d get interrupted and this HAPPENED every single time. By the third time you sit there with a straight face and just think “yeah they won’t even kiss anyways”. And it’s true. They didn’t.

The beauty of the first season was that I genuinely had no clue what was going to happen next but in this season it all felt like by the time the “climax” happened I knew where we were headed without even having seen the previews. You could already sense what would happen between each couple and each character before you even watched the next episode.

They even made Boston lacklustre. The one character everyone wanted to shake things up ended up being the level headed one that just did nothing at all the entire season? Next time just don’t even add him in.

I will however say that the cast did a great job with the slop they were given. They acted so well and really tried their best but even their great performances could not save the atrocities and snooze fest this entire scriptwriting had . Don’t use the only friends name if you’re not going to commit. If I did not have the expectations I felt I was given at the beginning maybe it would’ve been enjoyable but this was just a miss entirely for me.

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I've seen this in 2005 when I was 10 years old and I haven't really paid attention, but I remember the entire premise.

I dunno what has gotten into me recently but I found myself revisiting these old K-dramas I've seen in the past on free TV that I haven't watched in full. Boy was it worth my time!

The story is simple. The characters aren't really that complicated but I love the romance! Han Ji Hye and Lee Dong Gun are just so good on screen! In this age, the entire premise might be off but it's their dynamic as a married couple is what I liked the most. It's not iffy, guys. There's no power manipulation or dominance, just cute romance. And I love that. The conflicts are also not that serious, and they get resolved easily.

If anything, I really love the sweetness of the couple; it's so adorable!

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Nao develops a pair

This second season of Liar Game is just as entertaining as the first season in terms of mind games and being cunning. This is why I don't mind if it diverged from the source material, which at that time was still publishing. (Round 4 is Revival II in the manga. What follows this is changed in the jdorama)

Despite my not liking Nao's character and what she represents, she has grown as a character and was able to make her belief in people somehow work.

If there's an added reason to watch the second season, it's the antagonist Katsuragi Ryou, who reminds me a bit of Classroom of the Elite's Sakayanagi Arisu in terms of her demeanour. Unfortunately, she is only a jdorama original. The jdorama did dirty on Yokoya Norihiko's characterisation, and his good qualities had to be put into Katsuragi.

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It had it's moments

Disclaimer

What I am writing here are my views and thoughts about this series. Some of you may not like it. That does not give you the right to try to come at me with your opinions on why this series should get a higher or lower score and why it is better/worse than I think it is. You have your own opinions, and I have mine. Kindly respect that.

I felt like if I was waiting forever for this series from when it was first announced. And I had high hopes for it as i thoroughly enjoyed the thai parent story 'Only Friends' for the drama and the messiness that it served to us viewers on a weekly basis. And this series did start off in the same way, with me enjoying Dean, Rome and Raffy to the fullest as these respective actors truly brought their role to life on the screen.

I felt that after the series progressed, the messiness was still there but was not as strong as I would have liked it to be. I felt that their issues were handled quickly, making me feel like if I was watching the other BL dramas with the way that they handled their issues. I am a fan of Earth/ Mixx with a small crush on Joss/Gawin and I will tell you here that the star main couple who stole the scenes every time that they were on was Aou/ Boom. They did a terrific job and was one of the main reasons why I wanted to continue watching this series.

It was nice catching up with some of the previous characters from 'Only Friends', especially Boston, as it seems that he has turned over a new leaf and is no longer the bitch who we know and loved from the first season. And I felt that the person who was really the bad person for this season wasn't really dealt with to my liking. Yes, the situation was dealt with, but the person should have suffered more. All in all, it was a good watch that needed to be more messy like it's previous one.

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it’s a love story with no romance

I can see why this has the low end of reviews but it is still a beautiful story of love, hardship and connection. if you watch the series expecting boys love it’s a 5/10 since there’s no real excitement or romantic scenes that make you giddy. but if you watch this series expecting love, hardship and connection, it’s a solid 8/10. minus 2 points for the abrupt plot turns.. but still lots to enjoy about this series. I’d still recommend it for the unique Japanese Korean boundary crossing mature acting and story. don’t let all the negative reviews deter you from watching this series! Reset your expectations and enjoy what this series offers.

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A Lukewarm Echo of a Groundbreaking Original

The original "Only Friends" was a massive step forward for the BL genre, delivering a rich, complicated, interwoven story about unique, flawed characters in conflict. In contrast, "Dream On" simply exploits that brand value while delivering a thin story with low-energy couples you mostly don’t care about.

Where the original offered three masterfully interlocking stories, "Dream On’s" three narratives barely relate to each other, creating a frustrating lack of cohesion. I primarily tuned in to see if JossGawin could replicate the magnetic sexual energy they displayed in "My Golden Blood." They didn’t—but frankly, their weak story arc didn’t give them the narrative room to show what they could do. The same was true for EarthMix’s storyline; though underserved by the script, Mix’s outstanding, nuanced acting at least provided the show with some badly needed heart.

Ultimately, only AouBoom brought genuine energy, charm, and sexiness to the screen. Repeatedly cast as second bananas, they have become absolute experts at making the most out of smaller parts, and they easily carry the show here.

Overall, "Dream On" replaces the grit and complexity of the original with weak characters and a shallow plot. A major disappointment.

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The Tragic Vacuum of a Demon Lord: A Millennium of Despair Lost to Script Bloat

Fangs of Fortune is a visual feast that delivers one of the absolute best works of Hou Minghao's career. He completely transforms for this role, managing to even age his eyes to perfectly look the part of a 1,000-year-old, frustrated demon. The core story is highly engaging, and the chemistry between the two Male Leads is almost sizzling hot to the point of a BL series—even though the plot strictly features heterosexual couples! 😉😂 It is actually incredibly refreshing to see these sweet dynamics, providing a much-needed lighter contrast to an otherwise very deep, emotional narrative.

The Mid-Series Narrative Bloat & Character Oversaturation:
However, viewers must navigate massive narrative structural issues, especially in the middle of the show. The production team frequently halts the central plot progression to inject an onslaught of 5 to 6 newly introduced side characters. It becomes blatantly obvious that the show was used as a promotional launchpad for lesser-known actors at the direct expense of the main leads. Consequently, the Male Lead’s screen time is severely diluted. Adding to the frustration, the second Male Lead’s scenes are noticeably better written and granted far more immediate emotional intensity than the actual protagonist's arc.

The Tragic Narrative Vacuum:
This skewed writing creates a massive flaw in the show’s emotional center. A 1,000-year-old demon who actively seeks his own demise—yet slowly develops vulnerable romantic feelings toward the Female Lead and genuine bonds of friendship with others—inherently possesses incredible character depth and tragic layers. This complex arc could have been developed into something profound. Instead, the writing leaves a total emotional vacuum around the Male Lead's millennial isolation. The audience is manipulationally steered into feeling sorry for the human second Male Lead and the Female Lead, completely sidelining the quiet tragedy of someone who has spent a thousand years entirely alone.

Production Disrespect & Audio Choices:
This structural sideline extends directly to the audio production. The team went as far as pulling an official character soundtrack recorded by Hou Minghao, giving the song's primary placement to other actors instead. This choice disrupts the artistic coherence of his character's themes. Structurally, the cinematography and editing are heavily stylized, feeling much like an impressionistic painting. While beautiful, this artistic choice results in an excessive use of slow-motion sequences that drag out the runtime.

In spite of every production hurdle thrown its way, the undeniable brilliance of the cast still turned this show into a massive hit. With a Heat Index surpassing 8,500+ on IQIYI. If you have the patience to navigate through the mid-show padding and slow editing, the phenomenal character dynamics and Hou Minghao's stellar acting make this masterpiece absolutely worth a watch!

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