Reviews

Sugar Baby & his Stalker

The priorities and pacing of the storyline is all over the place. It chooses over long fan service moments over building momentum to the key mystery or revenge motivations. Most of the so called romantic moments are anything but and grinds the story to a halt. It's also disappointing so much time could have gone to building relationships with other people in Armin's life and also fleshing out his character more.

We never learn if he has any family, why it's only Phat and P'Jeed who he loves as an aunt. He never spends much time with Phat, his best friend at all or see exactly how he's helping P'Jeed live a healthier lifestyle as she treats her illness. We are never shown that Phat wanted to learn to be a chef until Armin randomly enrolls Phat in culinary school. There are moments when the show is so unintentionally funny like when Armin crashes the car from the film set and his neck length hair wig falls off to reveal his even longer neck length hair and then he cuts his hair to reveal a hair cut that's like his wig. The scene where Armin delivers his one line scene as a background actor was supposed to be amazing, but it was pretty lackluster, which made the dissonance of the scene unintentionally bad funny too. Though to be charitable, Armin's first life in his twenties is a truly atrocious actor, so in comparison it would be good, but not to the level of the reactions to all around him. The actual actor for Armin is not that bad throughout the entire show either, but not overly impressive in that scene. Armin didn't need to let Charlie feel him up to set up Sam with Charlie, it's so nonsensical.

Tada is a creepy stalker who stalked Armin for multiple decades. Tada also made his relationship with Narin creepy, exchanging sex for company favors as his boss and didn't stop until he got with the object of his stalking who he sets up a lead role for unbeknownst to Armin even though he could have gotten it on his decades of acting practice and who also ends up working for him. Seeing him him cradle Armin's corpse in the original timeline was very creepy. It's so annoying when one character asks another a direct question and isn't answered. Armin even questions it, but then lets it go for no reason when it's the extremely suspicious behavior he noticed of the guy always knowing what he's doing and where he is all the time, that he KNOWS wasn't a part of his life during that era of his life. There is no reason for him to not have just directly reached out to Armin instead of secretly following him around and manipulating his life, especially after the reveal of how Armin saved Tada from committing suicide when they were teenagers.

It's also ridiculous that Armin couldn't put two and two together that Tada is TD from the name and behavior until getting the watch gift delivered from Weinai. It turns out that Armin is into getting the leg up with Tada's resources anyways. He's not too proud to be have connections and gifts. Tada could have gotten Armin some acting lessons, which would have been helpful. The drama is strongest once Armin stops rampaging and destroying things and pushing over people, which happening more than once is really annoying, and finally settling in using his acting skills, tempering himself to be smarter in situations, while using his foreknowledge to move ahead in the acting career that he's always wanted as well as figuring out who murdered him. But that goes out the window when he starts dating his stalker. The show implies that Armin's stalker obsession was so strong that his will is what brings both his and Armin's consciousness back to the past to live a new life.

There are a few scenes between Arimin and Tada that does work the scenes where Armin takes Tada back to cook him dinner and they switch over to Tada's stalker apartment to utilize the actual kitchen, Armin telling Tada off and putting his hand around his face somehow in loving frustration in the hallway for ruining the filming schedule with Tada having the bodyguards drag off the poor props department guy, the rare actual hilarious scene of Tada's intimidating apology to the props guy, and Armin making a cute bento for Tada which even Weinai wants to try. Weinai, Tada's right hand man has perfect comic timing. The gag of him accidentally saying the actual thing that was told to him or happening in front of him is not over used and he's cute with manager Janine, no notes. Every scene with Thiwthi the step brother is the worst. I get chewing the scenery, but he was just straight up ruining it with horrible over acting.

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Liked the drama . . . LOVED the ending

First of all, I watch all Sun Zhen Ni's dramas because she is the most beautiful woman in China. That said, the story is kind of ridiculous how a quitter staff girl gets to relive her looser life, make much better decisions and ends up in a much better life. The problem with the story is that she's way too good at everything in the drama to be human. She goes from the last quartile of students to one of the top university candidates and the implausible story gets worse from there. But then the ending snaps everything back to reality and made the entire show utterly entertaining to me. I noticed many reviewers complained that the ending ruined the whole show but for me, it was the opposite.

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Badass heroine, but kind of a dark show

This is a lesser-known show about a fallen hero’s quest for revenge. It’s rather dark and heavy, which isn’t usually my preference, but short (18 ep) and well-executed.

What I really like about this show is its casual female empowerment. Even aside from the FL, there are multiple strong female characters, including some where gender is irrelevant (eg Jiang Kui, the doctor)- they just happen to be female. This is how it should be!

Mo Qingchuan, the FL, is the strongest of them all. She is truly badass. Even better, she is also deep and complex. She is a heroine, but not idealized. She seems so all-knowing and in control most of the time, yet her trauma is very real, and you can see how it affects her. She is angry and hurt.

Cristy Guo really did a great job with this role. I just watched three female generals in a row (Legend of the Female General, Shadow Love, and this), and Cristy’s is the most convincing. I think it’s her gravitas and aura. Her commanding presence feels natural, not just acting cool.

…well, it’s hard not to compare between the shows, released so close together, but maybe not fair. All the characters are different. Mo Qingchuan has already been to hell and back, so the cold, lethal feel is perhaps more fitting than for a general building rapport with her soldiers. I will say, though, that I’ve seen Cristy in two other roles, both (at least partly) sifu-type characters, and I liked her each time. Maybe it is or will be her niche.

Turning around traditional gender roles, the ML is her disciple who has a little puppy crush on her. I dismissed him for most of the show, but he kind of grew on me. I think his crush is appropriate, and I could see where it’s coming from. There is room to interpret it as somewhat reciprocated, if you so choose, which I did not.

Overall, I like that the romance is minimal. I could relate to how the ML felt, even if I didn’t think anything should come out of it, as it would be out of character for Qingchuan. And Zhou Zhan did a great job with his ML role, which might have been lame with less sincerity.

The plot covers two blocks of revenge. As they play out, the relevant background is revealed as memories. The first block I felt pretty good about; the second, less so. It wasn’t poorly done, it was just making me unhappy (more in spoilers section). But one of the benefits of a short show is that it’s easy to finish.

The short length also means tight pacing. At the beginning I had to rewind a few times to figure out the background, but afterwards I found I enjoyed not watching filler. Minimal drawn-out cheesy scenes, minimal pontifications about saving the common people, etc. Just story.

In terms of production, the budget seems lower, but I find that often results in diligent execution. The cast is small, but everyone did a good job. There aren’t that many songs, but I liked them, as well as the BGM. Costumes were fine, and I especially liked Jiang Kui’s fun costume to match her fun personality. The fighting is… also lower budget; some of it looks a little fake and there isn't that much, but the few choreographed duels or sword forms look pretty good.

Overall, I think this show is well done, and I appreciate the strong and complex female lead. It's just a little too dark and heavy for me. On merits I might give it an 8, but it’s probably just my personal preference that I was left with a slightly sour taste, resulting in the 7.5.

ENDING – READ AHEAD ONLY IF YOU WANT TO KNOW, CONTAINS SPOILERS





At first it seems like an open ending- she gets all her revenge and closure, but she may or may not have sacrificed herself to defend her hometown. That would be sad but fitting. She kind of had that suicide bomber aura, especially towards the end.

But then, in an after-credit epilogue, she comes back and all is good. …ok, I like happy endings and all, but is this maybe just a little anticlimactic?

And no, we don’t find out what happens to anyone. Unusually, I was ok with this. It would have made it even more anticlimactic.

MORE MAJOR SPOILER AHEAD





I mentioned the second block of revenge (episode 13 on) left me with a slightly sour taste, and here’s why.

Empress Dowager:

There is some moral complexity because deposing her would destabilize the nation. Qingchuan at one point is ready to choose hatred first; I loved how real this is, rather than some idealized cartoon heroine.

…but nope, it turns out she was working with the kid emperor all along, and it’s all self-sacrifice for the good of the country. Right, back to cartoon heroine. Well, I was a little disappointed but ok with this. The show is so dark, it was nice to see something go right.

Feng Shiye:

This was the one that made me feel sour. Ok, so this guy legit did some awful stuff. But I also felt bad for him because he seemed to genuinely like and care for her.

His defeat was supposed to be the final triumphant closing arc, but I just couldn’t feel good about it. I guess I just don’t really like a story where somebody’s love is used against them. Regardless of what else he’s done, I still find it sad.

At the same time, taking a step back… not that I’d understand what’s going on in a twisted mind, but I am Confused. Their history together is so horrible (sidebar: also weird, that we end up here from there), and she’s never hidden her hatred for him. How in the world would he ever think anything could work out between them? He doesn’t even try to resolve or work through those things, he just glosses right over it.

His love seems genuine, but some of his actions are bizarre for a person in love. Don’t you usually, I dunno, try to make the other person like you?

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Literally BEYOND THE BAR

Is this a legal drama?? Yes it is, but so far beyond any normal legal drama. This is not your typical legal drama. It is more emotional and deep.

The cases shown in each episode is really complex and gripping at the same time. Not at all like the usual legal drama cases. The grey cases show the complexity of relation between law and moral values. The actors did a very good job and it felt very natural and satisfying. Characters were very solid and interesting. Dynamics between the characters and chemistry between the actors was really amazing. The drama portrayed different forms of love and also showed deeper and different meanings on love. Not even a single episode felt boring, it was really interesting to wait and watch the next episode. The drama’s overall pacing was also really good.

It could have been a 16 episode drama, and I seriously hope for second season. Overall it was a very amazing watch. Solid 9/10.

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BEST LAW KDRAMA 2025

The first legal drama I'm truly passionate about

Beyond the Bar was on my list for its casting, but certainly not for its theme. So I was very surprised when, from the very first episode, I was drawn in by this very special first case to defend. The meticulous cinematography, an absolutely sublime cast with spot-on performances... I found myself devouring the episodes with great anticipation!

Under its lighthearted LOVE SCOUT feel—because love isn't the central theme—we discover a workaholic lead, marked by some past trauma, and a patient, attentive assistant, with whom a simple exchange of glances is enough to connect. I really liked the atmosphere and the obvious chemistry between the two.

Some, bothered by the age gap (even though it's absolutely nothing new in a kdrama, even a romantic one), will describe their bond as a "mentor/junior" relationship. For my part, I understood where the screenwriter was going: a slow-burn romance (a bit like Backstreet Rookie), where, to maintain a certain rigor and logic despite the age difference, the two characters gradually become intimate. But the story clearly leaves the door ajar for "more than just colleagues," hence the open ending. It suggests that with time, and a few more years, a real relationship could blossom, as if he were waiting for her to mature further.

Overall, it's flawless... I experienced a veritable whirlwind of emotions watching this drama, thanks to its increasingly intriguing and touching cases, as well as its main and secondary characters, all of whom possess real depth. The gentle and well-balanced soundtrack, the striking opening credits, and the carefully chosen camera shots make it an excellent legal drama, far from being boring, unlike its recent predecessor. I can only recommend it: you'll fly by and almost regret there aren't 16 of them, for once!

On the romance side, don't expect anything fully realized, but a lot of things come across through the looks—even if we would have liked more. On the other hand, the supporting characters delight us in this regard! In short, a must-see!

10/10

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A Soft Take on a Few Soft Boys

I don’t usually watch Period dramas, but I always enjoy BL dramas, and someone here on MDL recommended this to me, so I thought, why not?

I can positively say I’ve never seen anything like this before. This drama really drew me in from the very beginning. Like a cowboy that wrangles a rope around a horse, it held on tight and never let go.

The first thing I must commend this drama for was blending French and Thai languages and cultures. I don’t see this very often in dramas, and the act of bringing cultures together makes this drama more universal and it was executed in a beautiful and compelling way, with Rati coming from France and meeting Phi Thee in Thailand(in that era, it was known as Siam). Even though there was some resistance from both countries, they still did their best to work through their differences. Rati was eager to be in Siam to fulfill his duties, and Phi Thee eager to embrace someone from another country.

My second point I’d address would be the portrayal of respect in regard to social class and professional standing. I understand that your supposed to respect those that rank higher than you, but there were certain characters that would abuse that in this series, which I found to be rather ridiculous. If everyone is an adult, then surely someone can take a stand and speak against unjust criticism and outright discrimination, but that rarely happened until something extreme occurred like public physical assault. If everyone in this drama just stopped being so damn reluctant to speak up, a lot of the violence could’ve been prevented. I can’t really speak on if that’s what it was really like in that era in that country, but that bothered me.

The third thing I would touch on was the romance aspect of Rati and Phi Thee. Throughout the series, there was a lot of hidden promise for them. It was evident that Rati had never been in a relationship before, so it was all the more exciting to see Phi Thee pursue him in such a gentle and reassuring, and flirtatious way. I’ve never seen a man pinning for someone so innocently before, so those were my favorite scenes of the series. I can somewhat understand the direction the writers were trying to take with this relationship; letting their bond grow over time and creating a delicate sort of sophisticated romantic dynamic, but it was almost like this romance was one-sided sometimes.

This drama was thrilling, ambitious, and aspirational. I was really impressed that this drama really went the extra mile with its use of the French language and multiple cast members speaking French and Thai throughout, and made me appreciate it that much more.

If my hypothetical future relationship doesn’t look like this, I don’t want it. Overall, everyone in this series did such an incredible job bringing this series to life, watching it was a pleasure and an honor.
I would definitely rewatch this with a friend.

Memoir of Rati, I 💜 you

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The ending we never knew we needed

This is one drama that took me a while to finish. Honestly, it could have been done in just two days, but it took me around three weeks to complete. By the time I reached episode 26, I already started to lose interest. For the sake of finishing it, I ended up fast-forwarding from episode 26 until the last few episodes.

The drama started off very promising, but when another plotline was introduced, it felt a bit dragging and I lost excitement. However, the last three episodes redeemed the story. The relationship between the male lead and female lead became more engaging, and I must say the drama had a strong finish with a satisfying ending.

One thing that bothered me, though, was the dubbed voice of the male lead. It did not always match the consistency of his acting, which was a bit distracting at times.

Still, if you are into assassin-themed dramas with a touch of romance, Kill Me, Love Me is worth a try.

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Was it good to watch..?

My thoughts
About china producing bl drama
1. Chinese drama never disappoint with their production, especially when it comes to historical drama. Even when creating a non main stream genre which is also censored like bl, they gave their utmost sincerity.
2. When other country which mainly focuses on bl series, cuts down the production cost for the bl series, china, who put ban on bl is producing the best bl ancient drama in history.
3. As a person who has been a bl fan even before when the bl genre is main stream. I have watched hundreds of bl drama, thousands of bl novels and manhwas. In which my most fav stories came from china. And so, seeing china produce high end bl gave me extreme happiness
4. As a person who is a deep fan of bl, I watched bl with many tag, and if you are not just a new bl fan or just a bl watcher then you must have read many omegaverse aka abo drama, which even western, thai or any other bl industry hesitate to use was finally used by c bl industry which was extremely perfect.
5. As a person who watched many bl from thai, japanese, koreans, indonasian, Taiwan, western countries. But the satisfaction and affection I felt for those few chinese bl ( in which they turned many into bromance), made them rank no.1 even though thai have most drama and Japan came up with best story and korea have the most varieties.
(PS: I wish china put down their hatred towards bl industry and become more open minded, that those good bl writers from china can finally come in front line.)

About this drama.
1. As I said before an amazing story, good production, exceptional music, talented cast, beautiful costumes even the anime scene were top notch. Usually I always have some part I will point out as disappointed but here nahh.. in every aspects it was perfect. Though may be I will compain about not having 45min of series with 54 episodes.Even if don't have that much scenes still their wasn't any slow pacing of fast pacing in the series. It told the story perfectly in the few minutes.
2. Even when they showed trailer I never expected this much chemistry from the actor and the way portray emotions were the best, especially the top. He pulled of both as green flag and red flag exceptionally well. We can see from his face that how much he adore his love. Which once again proved to me that an best cast can bring the series to a new level. And to be a. Best cats they don't have to be the famous once too... This drama gave the backend actors a chance to be on mainstream.
3. And also when most of dramas in all genre will either drag on with main charector background story or will cut down the story soo much that we will get confused about the whole thing like "wait, what happened exactly". Here they gave perfect portray about both the casts background story without adding extra seasoning nor was it pale. Even the way villain manipulate the whole things between the royal brother was done extremely well.

About the story (extreme spoiler)
MC Top
An assasin from enemy kingdom enters the palace to kil the crown prince who actually killed the assassin's adoptive family. On the way of his escape, he meets the sixth prince who is extremely kind and didn't knew any martial arts and he forces the prince to lie to the pursuing guards by putting knife on the him. Between the conversation, he realised the prince was his childhood friend. And leave becuz of not getting an order to kill the prince just yet. And prince also allows him to escape just because of his kindness of not harming him but giving him his token.
Later in order to find his brother from adoptive family and to take his revenge he approached the sixth prince who is known for his kindness. Then he realises that sixth prince innocents and slowly become close to the prince and finally falls in love with him. And he takes the prince dream as his and dreamed to live an ordinary life with the prince after escaping from the royal turmoils after finding his brother. For that dream he was ready to sacrifice everything including his martial arts and revenge. Later he found his brother with the help of the prince and was ready to escape together.
But the fate had different thoughts. He realised his identity as an enemy kingdoms prince. And before he could confront it truthfully with the prince the unexpected rebel news interrupt their conversation. And he realises that his beloved is going to sacrifice his life for the kingdom and for his brother the crown prince who was also the rebel leader. In order to protect his loved one, he kills the crown prince even though he knew it can make sixth prince hate him because for sixth prince even his family is against him he loved them especially his elder brother who he always looked up on. But in order to protect his loved one he killed the prince. Which in return worsen his relationship with sixth prince who realised his identity as a enemy prince and he was send away by the sixth prince who hoped they should never meet again. And so he was forced to return to his country.
There he took on his role as prince and tried to contact the sixth prince who now become the emperor. He realises for him to get closer to his beloved he need power and become the emperor by killing his own father. Then he began to conquer the continent only to get his loved one. He even begged his beloved to give him a chance to meet but the reply of his complete rejection angers him and he decided to conquer the country of his beloved and took the prince back to his own country. He succeeded in it. But it caused the prince to hate him more.
He tried everything including threat to make the prince submit. And it cracked their relationship more and more. And his worsening health made the situation more complicated. Even against everyone, for the prince to stay with him, he even sends away the war prisoners.
Even though he knew very well that the sudden closeness of the prince is with no good intentions, he played along only for his love and forgiveness becuz he felt extreme guilty about his actions which he though will protect the prince and his dream of ordinary life but in fact the result was exact opposite. He tried to make amends even with his body which is slowly dieing. (Till ep 10)

MC Bottom
As a sixth prince of the country he never wanted the power/throne. His only wish was to clear his relation with his family and leave the royal family to live and ordinary life.
He didn't wanted to fight with his brother who suspected him becuz of the intentional misunderstanding created by the cunning ministers. He didn't want to take revenge on his family who killed his mother and maternal family for power. He only want a ordinary life and planned to escape the palace even it means to fake death or becoming a monk. But all his years of planning to escape got crushed when he met the assasin who tried to kill his brother. When he met the same assassin in the temple who exposed his identity as his childhood friend who saved him once , he took him in, even though he knew this was the same person who was the assassin who tried to kill his brother. Initially, he was suspicious about him and wanted to use him for stabilizing his escape plan but their developing relationships made him change his mind. He even postponed his escape plan so he can protect this friend. He later exposed the persons previous identity as an assassin and forgive him and gave him chance after confirming that he will leave after finding his brother.
Later their relationship as a friend become more than just friend. And he too fell for his friend. He hoped to escape here with his lover after finding the brother of his loved one. He succeeded in finding the brother and was ready to escape.
But his plan got destroyed by his beloved brother who rebelled against the kingdom and killed his father emperor. He was also ready to sacrifice his life so his brother can took the throne. He still hoped to meet the brother who cared about him since childhood and understood him the most. Even when his brother destroyed his hands which only used to play and paint he still didn't have any grudge against his brother who unjustly did everything. But the moment he realised his brother killed his father he knew that their is no going back and he want to die that day. But his lover came between and killed his brother in front of him. And knowing the real identity of the lover made him lose all the trust in his lover. In the end even though he could hill his lover for the betrayal. He let him escape and hoped to never meet again. He then took the position of the emperor unwillingly.
But later he heard his beloved becoming the emperor and beloved that he also become a cruel and ruthless person for power and their enmity increased. When he realised that the enemy kingdom attacked them and their kingdom is going to merge too, he wanted to sacrifice his life but was stopped by his lover who later took him back to the enemy kingdom. There he hated the emperor more and more. Then he begged the emperor for the release of his people from the prison. And he confront the lover about the current situation which was against all his dream which was actually crushed by the person he loved, which made the lover feel extremely guilty. And was surprised to find that later the emperor realised all the prisoner for his forgiveness, which can even put his throne in danger. Later he realises the sacrifice that person done for him and also realises his deep love. Even so he wasn't ready to forgive him for killing his family and destroying his kingdom. He wanted to get closer to the emperor to escape and take revenge. But the process of getting close made him more confused about his feelings and resolutions. (Till ep 10)

Conclusion
This story is about two princes who fell in love with each other. They wanted to live an ordinary life but the fate made them enemy of life. The plots tells their who struggles between love and hate. To tell the truth this is a typical story that we usually see in historical dramas. But seeing a bl version of the story with extremely good budget is another story. So, I watched the series even though I know, highly likely there won't be an happy ending. However much I think nahh.. 90% it's gonna be a sad ending where both of them are going to die. But I hope that 10% chance of happy ending can create a better ending for the series like the younger brother taking the throne and they escape from the kingdoms and live an ordinary life even by faking their death. The chance of this happening is very low by thinking their enmity came to a point where there is no going back and if they bring that ending then all those war and deaths become useless. And it will cause a disappointed towards MC Bottom who indirectly caused the destruction of his country and forgave the destroyer. And other ending which I hope to happen is them being reborn in the modern era and meeting again and starting a new love story. This is the ending I hope to happen but the chance is still low becuz it's chinese drama, where they won't create such a plot only for an happy ending. And so I don't have any hope for an happy ending, I just hope that the ending won't be rushed or unfinished.

All bl fans, watch it. It's good to watch a bl story produced by china. And seeing the real background of noval is showed truthfully in the the series makes me happy. I hope they produce more shows like this...

I completed watching (12 eps)
Should I be happy that how good my instict is or should I sad for how right I was.. whatever it was good and sad ..v

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It's FANTASTIC!

==Breakdown==
Background plot - 35%
Romance - 50% (it's romance heavy and I would definitely call this a romance)
Misc comedy - 15%

Background plot - EXCELLENT
Romantic chemistry - EXCELLENT
Misc comedy - EXCELLENT
Production value - Pretty good

I recommend this drama for people who love: Love stories, complex characters, twists in the plot, supernatural / fantasy elements, he falls first and harder, enemies to lovers.

First, I feel *so sorry* for anyone who dropped this masterpiece early on. The first ten episodes are absolute fire; and then it slows down to a simmer, building and building, until episode 26 when everything is insanely awesome until the end. AND THE END!! One of the most satisfying endings I've ever seen.

Other reviews will likely go over the basic plot, but what I wish I'd known before going into this drama:
1) Don't look up spoilers. Go into it blind because there are so many AMAZING twists and turns. Just let yourself enjoy the story, the pay-off is MASSIVE.
2) You will become a massive Cheng Lei fan after watching this drama. Accept it. Embrace it.
3) You will have a huge drama-hangover when it's over and nothing will hold your interest for a long time. I can't seem to watch anything else because I keep wishing I could watch this one again for the first time. :-(

This show now lives in my top three CDramas of all time, which are (in no particular order):
'The First Frost,' 'One and Only,' and now 'Shadow Love'

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Beautiful Chemistry Makes Doctor’s Mine an Enjoyable Watch

Story
I just finished all 10 episodes and I’m glad we got a happy ending for all four couples. The story itself was not the best. The plot felt weak, and the jealous female characters were annoying and unnecessary. The SA flashback in episode 5 added nothing meaningful and could have been left out. It also felt unrealistic that all six boys and two girls began as straight but eventually turned gay. This is something that only seems to exist in BL worlds and not in real life.

Acting and Cast
Despite its flaws, I truly enjoyed the series. All four male leads were stunning, and the chemistry between MonPak and LeeArm stood out above the rest. Their connection was intense and believable, and their NC scenes were both hot and realistic. Some of the kiss and NC scenes in this drama rank among the best I have seen this year.

Characters
Two aspects of the story stayed with me long after the final episode. The first was the way the two brothers met their lovers. Knight’s first encounter with Mild was tender and fateful. As a child, he nearly drowned, and Mild saved him, planting the seed of love in his heart. Per’s story, on the other hand, was far more abrupt. His first meeting with Kan happened in a car during a sexual encounter, and from that glance onward, his entire orientation seemed to shift. Unrealistic, yes, but in the world of this drama, I accepted it.

The second aspect was Per’s mother. Many viewers will hate her, but I could not bring myself to. Per was her only son. She dreamed of seeing him with a wife, welcoming a daughter-in-law and holding a grandchild. Instead, he changed in a way she could not easily understand. From an Asian cultural perspective, this is not a simple transition. Generational expectations, family honor, and social image weighed heavily on her.
Per never had a true heart-to-heart with her, which explained her resistance. When she slapped Kan in the hospital, it was not out of cruelty but out of anger and fear. Her son had nearly died, and in her eyes, Kan was at fault. I did not agree with her actions, but I understood them. She wanted only the best for her child. In the end, I was glad they finally had the conversation they needed, and that she came to accept Kan and her son’s relationship. Many fans continue to despise her, but I believe her character was written with realism. If she had accepted Kan from the beginning, the story would have lost its emotional depth and its rollercoaster of drama.

Overall
This was not the greatest BL series, but it was still a fun and engaging watch. It gave me moments that were touching, frustrating, and unforgettable. I look forward to seeing the cast in future projects, carrying with me both the flaws and the sparks of brilliance that made this series memorable.

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The only drama I keep rewatching. The pure romance story in every moment.

I finished Hidden Love ages ago but never got around to writing a review, mostly out of laziness.
Over the weekend, I rewatched it again and once more I found myself completely falling in love with the drama. Honestly, I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve watched it.
The storyline may be simple without big twists or dramatic peaks but every moment is beautifully shot.
Just watching the sweet and ordinary love between sang zhi and duan jiaxu perfectly fulfills my romantic imagination of what it feels like to fall in love.
So far, this is the only drama I can confidently rate a solid 10. Nothing else has surpassed it for me.
I truly hope another drama will come along that makes my heart flutter in every moment even in something as simple as the way the leads look at each other just like in Hidden Love.

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Well-paced healing journey of two individuals you want to root in a beautiful setting

Subjective Gut Rating: 8.25

At first glance, “Falling Before Fireworks” seems to be just another healing drama of two lonely individuals who have very different personalities and lifestyles. But as you dive deeper, the way the story and tropes are a little bit unconventional in a good way. It’s not a perfect drama, especially the last arc (which I’ll write more later). But the drama has good pacing for a healing drama, a strong and independent FL, beautiful sets and scenery and cute puppies.

It took me a couple episodes to really like FL. She was introduced as a money-hungry, super career-focused individual who will do anything to get a promotion. But as you get to know her and think about the cultural difference in China and the Western world, you may start to like her, empathize with her and root for her success. I am glad that her focus and independence as a strong career woman remains true from start to finish. ML is a quiet craftsman living in a rural area surrounded by peace and culture. A very different life and experience from FL. But who doesn’t like an opposite attracts romance, especially when affection and understanding are developed slowly. It’s totally my kind of drama and romance, especially when we have a marriage of convenience on top of it.

Yes, there are misunderstandings but not too frustrating. I think it stems more from the upbringing of the main leads. They may seem very different, but what they long for is the same - to be loved and to have a home. Both are self-sacrificing, withholding the need to ask for help from each other, because throughout their lives. They had to in order to survive, fight and maintain affection from their loved ones. For that, I am willing to give the non-communication a pass. However, they are also super supportive of each other in interesting ways. Once they found out the other half was being mistreated (big and small ways), they seek revenge for the others. This brought us some funny and heartwarming moments.

The love triangle is unique in a way. I was worried that it’s going to drive me crazy but it didn’t (except I don’t quite like the voice of 2FL). OK, I did question why FL continues to remain friends with 2FL after her ‘open’ pursuit. She should be smart enough to see through her sly actions. The brother’s arc brought on some anxiety but I was pleasantly surprised by how that ended. The support cast is lovely, even those co-workers in the beginning.

I love the ML’s house and that quiet part of town. It’s nice to take a break from city life and see how simple people can live. That house is beautiful. Find me a bed and breakfast like that, I would love to stay there, especially when the host is as handsome as Chen Xin Hai. The drama also spends a lot of time showcasing Chinese arts and crafts from lantern making, to wood sculpting, to drawing and painting. I love all that except for the last business arc. I knew it’s coming and I dreaded it. I wish the drama has focused those episodes on FL and her parents and more couples. It's just a little preachy and nationalistic for my taste. But I also understand if I am not a foreigner, the local audience would love it. That’s why this drama has an excellent score of 7.7 on Douban, especially when it has no big name actors.

“Falling Before Fireworks” gave me quite a roller coaster ride of emotions. I’ve shed some tears (god bless you, grandpa), cooed at the cute puppies (they never seem to grow big but who cares as they are cute), grinned and smiled through a few cute and romantic scenes and gestures. I do want better kisses though.

It’s a somewhat low budget drama that went under the radar. I may not love the dubbing and the business arc in the end, but I had a great time binge watching these 23 episodes. If you are looking for a healing drama that’s not too slow-paced, with great scenery and lovely individuals, this is worth a shot.



Completed: 9/7/2025 Review #622

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