Reviews

Acting, storyline, development are all good story of the kunning palace is amazing!!

Ah! I really enjoyed watching the story of the kunning Palace. The story, acting, visuals were all magnificent! It is definitely one of the bests cdramas to come out this year. Moreover, the characters especially xie wei who was played by the actor Zhang Ling He, gave such a phenomenal performance. I was really impressed with how he protrayed Xie Wei as a man who has been thorough so much hardship thus devloping a cold and shrewd personality. He is someone that I am looking forward to seeing more of his works and how his acting can further progress. However, I would also like to mention that at some points during the drama i did feel like he over dramatised xie wei’s character a little bit which came as kind of scary? But nonetheless he put on a good performance! As for Bai Lu, I am pleased with how she presented ning’er as a character. I think she did a wondeful job in showcasing her fragile side and how strong and smart she is. I want to give an overwhelming praise to yan lin’s actor as his character development really warmed my heart with how the actor managed to show just how much of a silly but really sweet boy he was. (i fell so hard when he was fighting in last few episodes, he looked so badass 😭) and ofc the actor who played zhang he i love you such a handsome man but his acting was really flawless i really think he put on a good performance in showcasing how self righteous. zhang he’s character was. Furtheremore, I think the story for kunning palace was executed pretty well but towards the ends it felt a bit rushed like the pace was inconsistent, so that kind of took the ratings down. Additonally, i felt like towards the end the director could’ve made the character’s deaths more vile because truly makes no sense how them being killed of just like that was a “satisfactory” ending for the viewers. Anyways i really did enjoy this cdrama and heavily reccomend for anyone who wants to watch. :)

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Boring Grocery list of a drama

Drama made young ML as super memory genius who is not afraid in the face of injustice but the adult ML is a washed out many times exam failure wimp of a guy made it rather disengaging to root for him.
Although it is relatively new and refreshing to see ML as non dominant and macho presence of a character, the likeability factor turned out less for me.
in contrast they made the FL a super adorable who understands and roots for the ML and cherished him for 20 years, she is so loveable for me.
Young child actress Yul was super adorable and great acting .
Story however rather bland and crime and investigation was not interesting.
Especially as most of them pointed out in the comment, as soon as they introduce the villain most of us could easily guess he is the bad guy as he was clearly givin of one.
Most things are loveable , the hardworking mom, supermarket , rooftop house ect; however the screenplay and story went down the drain , eventhough the other characters had potential to have a depth they fail to keep me interested as well. The veg is so beautiful, fish is charming, part timer girl is badass vibe but there wasnt scene to make them loveable .
Anyways i actually went to because of watching the FL from awaken drama .

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nope

I don't mean to be negative or hateful... but that was probably the WORST plot twist I've ever seen.

I was watching the series thinking, "Why didn't I see much of this series shared online?" Maybe because the ending was so unsatisfying, I feel I wasted my time.

It would have been better if they all just died. Not some girls' parents acting like two idiots, collectively punishing a class of high schoolers because a group of them are assholes.

Also, if they wanted to go on and say she killed herself because of the bullying, then maybe they should have done and shown something more believable. They should have done The Glory level bullying or at least something way worse than a very badly done deepfake. Anyone with eyesight could see that it was fake.

Almost everything else was great but the story makes a series and this one was so disappointing.

Honestly, 95% chance I'll skip season 2, if there ever is one.

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Pluto, Black Holes and Revolutions

This was actually a pretty poignant little story, just like the previous miniseries in this anthology. A story about separation and fledgling feelings, done in a different way than expected.

The story is from the POV of Tod from Pisces of Love, his experience since he moved to Khon Kaen at the beginning of the previous anthology, and his memories involving Nick, his tutor in Bangkok, and someone he left behind. Through flashbacks and narration, we see the events that transpired from the moment they first met to the moment they separated.

What's incredibly obvious is that they're both very important to each other. Nick definitely sees Tod as a younger brother, and whether Tod sees him as something more is left upto ambiguity. Regardless, they have a huge significance in the other's life. The ending is bittersweet and kind of open, since this was more of an exploration of their feelings and thoughts more than anything, it made sense.

A good miniseries, slow at times and not really one that has a plot per se, but compared to the way they marketed this, I'd say it's a relief they took this approach.

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It is ok if you don’t like it

Final review (even tho it is not finished).

I want to say, as the top review says, it is one of fhe drama that you need to see it for yourself to “rate it”. And still, it is one of the kdrama that will be hard to judge as it will take a lot of subjective thoughts (more than other dramas) to say it is good or not.

So my opinion isn’t necessary. But here is what I can tell you. This is not a revenge drama, this is a healing drama. Weirdly enough, not healing for you but for the characters. And this is where it is hard to understand, because we usually make contents for others (viewers) but it feels like it was made for its creator. Like a self letter.

Romance is not the main arc of the drama.

Characters are not meant to be flawless, on the opposite. And this can be extremely irritating, frustrating, want to throw out your screen off the wall sometimes. They are also meant to be disliked. I believe there is a reason but it is too much out of my own speculation to be taken seriously..

Even after knowing all these and pounder everything it is not the best drama or the year and won’t be. Neither will it be the best performances of the whole cast. BUT we appreciate a lot their acting because it is actually a sort of acting demonstration here from everyone.

Now watch it and make your own judgement. Do not let comments influence you. You might love it and if you drop out it is fine too. It is not made for everyone.

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Watched for the side couples

Oh my Lord, why did they let Yim act this way? Jade was too over the top and I have trouble feeling like Mai would have any interest in him. There were a few times I felt Jade wasn’t too bad but that was only when he was acting serious. I’m really not a fan of Tutor and Yim. I would have stopped watching if not for the side couples.

I’m a huge fan of Net and James! I had to continue watching the series to see them and what (if anything) would happen between them. There wasn’t much but they made it worth watching.

And, I have to say, I’m sort of digging the new couple (Leo and Tai). Tai is just an adorable actor and I hope to see him go far.

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The ultimate sweet romance.

You think you saw unproblematic, cute, heartwarming and wholesome dramas? Let me tell you, none comes even close to Hidden Love. It’s an ultimate sweet romance.

Easily the best aspect of the show was how natural and real everything felt, and I’m not talking about just the romance. The relationship between the siblings? Exactly how it usually looks like in real life. The friendships? Hilarious and relatable - both for guys and the girls. How people act when they are drunk, sick, sad, happy, shy, excited - both the way it was written and then performed was just… natural, and that’s the best compliment a drama can get.

Still, the highlight, the core, the true beauty of Hidden Love was the blooming romance between Sang Zhi and Duan Jia Xiu. What started as a teen crush, turned into one of the most healthy and balanced relationships I have seen in any drama ever. Getting into the show I was afraid how they would handle the age gap. 5 years is not much, but it is not little considering the age Sang Zhi was. The writer did not disappoint.

What I loved the most about the relationship was the fact I could see true partnership between the leads. It was not an older guy just taking care of a younger girl sacrificing everything for her happiness. They also did not make Sang Zhi this unrealistically mature, 20 acting 30. They became each other's emotional support, they handled issues in a mature way while still believably presenting characters in their early and mid twenties. They also delivered some good kissing scenes, no fishes to be found on set ;)

And you know what’s great? The leads were amazing as a couple, but they were also great as their own individuals! While there were moments I found Sang Zhi’s behavior too sweet for my taste, it’s simply impossible not to love her. She was emotionally strong, empathic, driven and supportive. Then we have Duan Jia Xu - honestly too good to be real, and that makes me feel depressed. Good natured, patient, protective. But I also appreciated his own arc and the depiction of the loneliness he was facing.

What’s more to love? The sibling dynamics between Sang Zhi and Sang Yan. I’ve got both comedic and touching scenes. Yes, they might have fought a lot, but they also cared for each other deeply. And honestly? The bickering scenes between them were some of my favorite moments in the drama.

One thing that caught my attention production wise were the outfits picked for the characters. Not only did I love the slight couple matches Sang Zhi and Duan Jia Xu were wearing (even before they became a couple, their colors always matched), I also literally wanted to steal the whole wardrobe from Sang Zhi.

The acting from the whole case was so good it got me jealous watching. Jelly for the romance, the friendship, the family dynamics. It all seemed so real and so wholesome. I knew Chen Zhe Yuan is a good actor after watching Our Secret, but he was so much better in Hidden Love (even though I did not think it’s possible). Zhao Lu Si's little mannerism added to the realism of the character she was portraying and I could not stop smiling while watching her performance.

Anything I did not enjoy? Not that into the “debtor” story, or rather the closure it got. With how serious it was introduced, I expected something more to happen for it to end. I was also completely not interested in a love story of one of Sang Zhi’s roommates.

Overall, for modern romance fans, this is a golden standard. I’m extremely pleased I’m ending 2023 with this drama. Nothing better than entering the new year with a new found crippling loneliness after seeing the most perfect couple in dramas history.

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Fluffy but fun

Not a cinematic masterpiece, but I had fun watching it.

Pros:
The acting was good, if a bit over the top at times. The Janus character was the strongest, but I enjoyed watching both of the mls as well, keeping in mind that it was Cheques first drama. I found Sky particularly charming in many scenes and thought that they all did well managing what seemed like poor writing and clunky dialogue
The NFC scenes were the sort of explicit raunchy scenes I know and expect from a Thai BL, and were well done and fun to watch.
Despite the issues usually arising from an initial infuriating refusal to talk about things, issues were usually resolved rather quickly with fairly realistic relationship discussions (excepting the initial issue of Sky's refusal of Venus.
It was low drama, so rather than a major melodrama, it played out like a glimpse into the lives of the characters at this period of time. Nice low stress story.

Cons:
The writing was uneven and the inclusion of unnecessary side stories and repetition of story lines (Sky tries to reconcile with Venus, Venus rebuffs him, repeat ad nauseum) meant the pace lagged significantly in episodes 3-6
I always find product placement a con. In some respects, it was less noticable in this drama as the story was often set in the convenience store, lending more credibility to the products being there in the first place. However, the over promotion of 7-11 and the app almost made me determine NOT to ever visit a 7-11 again.

I had fun watching this and I will revisit it when I want something familiar and silly, with some NFC as a bonus.

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Sometimes too cheesy but still a good watch

Saw the show after hearing so much hype around it and it certainly didn't disappoint. From the action to the story arcs, everything was well executed. There were moments where it felt a little dragged and sometimes to cheesy but overall was a good watch.

The humor was quite on point and gave some really good memorable moments, be it the dance during the idol concert or trying to stop the girls from opening the parcel.

The show gives you all you need from an army based show and tells about all the sacrifices the soldiers make to protect the country and their loved ones.

Song- Song couple might not be together in real life but for sure will remain one of the best onscreen ones till now. SJK as a soldier and SHK as a doctor were perfect casting. I was skeptical at first regarding SJK playing an army officer as he doesn't really has that stature but he did justice to his character.

KimJiWon as always nailed the character and her love story arc with JinGoo was cherry on cake. Her being a feisty and extroverted girl while him being calm and composed. Both helped each other grow and face problems together instead of running away.

The show's ost was quite good too and matched well with the vibe os the show and characters.

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"Dodes-kaden, dodes-kaden!"

This show took me by surprise with how much I enjoyed it! The concept of a colorful cast in a makeshift community never really resonated with me when watching Arakawa Under the Bridge. Mind you, some characters here border on caricature, but what grabbed me was how human their stories were. The people in this town aren’t normal, nor is the way they live their lives normal, but they’re individuals struggling with problems that normal people have. Unlike the outside world, in this town, they aren’t shunned.

I love how Shinsuke discovered more about himself throughout the show. He wasn’t one to join in with the antics of the townspeople, but you can see how happy he becomes when he starts opening up, to the point where he becomes implicit to the goofiness of the situation, especially towards the end. He becomes so goofy, and it’s great. This compliance with goofiness is also reflected in a different character, and their evolution was also heartwarming, considering the darkness they’ve experienced in their arc.

For a supposedly goofy show, it tackles very dark themes. The first episode provides a good introduction to how deep the themes can go. Thankfully, the first spotlight character has a more hopeful tone to their story, which, unfortunately, isn’t the same for some. I’m sure you’ll be able to empathize with some of the people in the town.

The comedy in this show is special. It’s not as in-your-face as I originally thought. I've mentioned the term "goofy" a lot, but that tone is necessary to present the dark, human experiences the people in this town have. Behind the dread, the goofy tone tells us that, yes, we can still look forward to the future and have hope.

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I’m going to have to watch again

I had to watch the ending a couple times because I didn’t know what to make of the ending. So I thought and thought about it and found I loved it so much I almost cried. I wish I could explain how moving the relationship between father and son at the end versus pre amnesia. Oh my gosh. Kim Myung Min and Choi Ii Hwa as father and son. So few words needed to be spoken. Kim Seo Joo had me sobbing when his father Kim Shin Ii tells him he was always proud of him he just didn’t agree with his son’s work.

So for me the story wasn’t in the works of lawyers protecting conglomerates as it was in how Kim Seo Joo was more like his father than I expected. That they found their way back to each other.

I’m going to have to watch it again.

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Some Scars can't be healed

This show needs no introduction nor does its leading lady.

A show that depicts the darker side of humans and how monstrous and inhumane they can get. A broken and scarred girl who swore revenge on those who made her life hell returns and unleashes the same hell on each and everyone of them making their lives worse than death.
She decides to take away everything they had from them and in the process meets a guy who is too broken and scarred just like her. He becomes her support when no one in the world did that for her, making her start to believe in others again.
The show will make you feel so many emotions. You will cry for the victims and hate the guts of the bullies. The cast has nailed their roles be it of the good or bad one.
Song Hye Kyo proved with this show that she ain't just a pretty face but a phenomenal actress too who can pull of both sweet and darker roles.

(The saddest part is that the things that are shown do happen in real life too and even way worse. Many have faced it growing up and many are facing it even now and this will continue on cuz such monsters exists everywhere at any age groups. I do pray for the well being of those who have suffered such atrocities and hope they are able to move past those scars.)

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The best drama of 2023 for me!

I loved this one! The story drew me in from the get go. And I watched it as it was airing…waiting for each episode to drop. Both the leads were phenomenal, the supporting cast was stellar and the story was gripping. The chemistry between the leads was fire. Zhang Linghe was absolutely swoon worthy with his burning gaze and his barely suppressed jealousy! Just wow. Only gripe I had was with the weird lighting and the odd placement of spotlights which was annoying! Highly recommended if you like a mature and passionate romance between two broken people with trauma!

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It takes a Monster to kill a Monster

This is what you call a good female oriented action thriller.

Han So Hee nailed it, be it the action or the raw emotions each and everything was spot on. All the training she underwent for the role is visible on screen. A girl who is ready to go through anything to get revenge on the man who killed her father was shown in a phenomenal way. All the grief, rage, desperation and shock the character had till the end.

PHS as the mafia boss was so damn good and I don't think you can hate him till the end. Its simple with him, no matter what never break his trust or you will be sent straight to Jesus.

AHB's too was good as a police officer and a brother who wants to end the drug trade to avenge his sister's death.

The story is so engaging and keeps you on the edge. There wasn't a moment where it felt dragged. The icing on the cake was the raw and gory action. Be it the cage fights or the final showdown. I enjoyed it to the fullest.

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A snoozefest! Watch if you have insomnia !

I started this series because I liked the FL in Word of Honour where she played a spunky and bratty character. And Tan Jianci was great in Lost you forever. Now I have a great tolerance for fluffy romances but this one was terrible. Very boring and bland characters and no story like zilch nada. Nothing happens. The FL got on my nerves with her asthmatic voice and annoying gasps while speaking. She was a stereotypical pathetic female lead who exists solely to moon over an unrealistic glorified male lead. The ML was borderline creepy as he hit on a child like FL with no brains character or any kind of personality. It just turned me off and frankly I could not bear to see them together as it looked like a grown ass man dating a child. I dropped it after a few episodes and it put me to sleep. I watch dramas for some passion, growth and at least some kind of excitement but this was a veritable sooozefest. Both of the leads were terrible and the supporting cast were just cheerleaders for the main leads with no redeeming arcs! Baah waste of my time!

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