Reviews

The characters are the heart of this show

So, as some people have already said, this is a love story in a mafia setting, not a mafia story with a side of romance. The action is just window dressing and has no through line at all. The twists and turns in the plot are laughable sometimes and require some suspension of disbelief, but did not detract from my overall enjoyment of the show. The cast really made it all work.

Kinn/Porsche - What can I say, I was in from the very beginning. Whenever they’re together, it’s electric. Yes, their relationship starts off pretty toxic. The whole thing is set in the Thai criminal underworld; every situation and emotion is taken to the extreme, and almost every character is morally gray if not purely amoral (hello, mafia). But I was pleasantly surprised that they didn’t sweep the non con/dub con under the rug. Both men grapple to some degree with the fallout and Kinn addresses it openly at a point in the show where they’re starting to build genuine affection for each other. Beyond that point, I think they really try to show that Kinn recognizes Porsche’s agency and wants him to feel like he has a choice. I also don’t understand the Kinn hate. Is the idea of his character better than the execution? Probably. But I still loved the tension between who he’s basically been forced to be and who he wishes he could be and that Porsche draws the latter out of him. The tender moments between them are everything (okay, yes, as are the sexy times so steamy they made my eyeballs melt).

Vegas/Pete - I’ll get my unpopular opinion out of the way: this relationship felt WAY too rushed. The Stockholm Syndrome is real. And I was not comfortable with what started as clearly torture and ultimately somehow framed as BDSM. I loved Pete from the get go, and I found Vegas fascinating - depraved, psychotic, and emotionally damaged to his core. The Pete/Vegas just blindsided me. I think there’s a glimmer of potential in the implication that they give each other something they need but are too ashamed or scared to want. But I thought it was handled in a clumsy, at times heavy handed way.

Kim/Porschay - While they were a welcome dose of sugar to chase down the intensity of the other couples, it felt completely unnecessary. There was clearly not enough screen time to devote to their relationship, evidenced by the scene that showed Kim looking through a pile of photos that suggested they spent way more time together than we were able to see. I would’ve loved to see more Kim, Kinn, and Tankhun, and their family dynamics. There are a few tiny but beautiful hints of brotherly affection that definitely should’ve been turned into a B or even C plot.

And I just need to give special acknowledgment to Tankhun. He’s a delight and 100% pretends to be crazy to get out of running the mafia.

Does this story contain anything I would condone or emulate IRL? Very very little. Is it a roller coaster ride of pure escapism? Yes, yes it is, and I plan on rewatching again and again.

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I can't believe my eyes...

Whoa... Where should I start...

Never expected to find BL stories that more chaotic than tharntype. Haha... Everything that so messed up that you can think about materialized in here... Haha... Of course, I'm talking about Fu Yong Jie & Ye Xing Si story...

Trigger warning, this gonna be big SPOILER ALERT. Cause I gonna tell you what mean with 'everything that so messed up that you can think about materialized in here.'

Ok as usual save review first.

This drama basically tell story about 2 couple. 1st Xiao Li Cheng (LC) & Teng Mu Ren / "Teng Teng" (TT) and 2nd is Fu Yong Jie (YJ) & Ye Xing Si (XS).

The 1st couple LC & TT tell story about 2 best friend that with time & the right trigger in the end having more feeling with each other. Why right trigger...? Just don't judge me homophobic after reading my review.... But their feeling starts after one of their new colleagues, Liu Mei Fang, observation toward their behaviors with each other, start playing 'matchmaking'. And after so many influences LC & TT start to feel different toward each other, especially after one special night... That's why I said the right trigger. Because without the matchmaking game I don't think their feeling for each other will go anywhere & just stay friend & platonic.

But anyhow I kinda like LC & TT chemistry with each other. And I also really like the friendship & dynamic between LC, TT & XS. The mature & father figure of XS that help LC & TT with giving his ear for their problem. The cat & mouse relationship between TT & LC. And in the end they're really one true friend that gonna stay by each other side though thick & thin...

Overall this quite good drama with many many problem....

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Ok now the BIG SPOILER!!!!

Fu Yong Jie (YJ) & Ye Xing Si (XS) story is so messed up, it make me quite speechless...

The biggest problem!
How can until the end no one educate YJ for his fault & problem. Even until the end XS still said he can't be angry for everything that YJ did. OH... MY... GOD... (said it like Janice from FRIENDS. Haha...)

What YJ did wrong...?
1st he stalks his brother, his hidden love, even when he's sleeping.
2nd he rapes him, yup RAPE, made his brother drunk & f***ing rape him.
3rd he goes against his brother, now lover, wish & tell their dad about their relationship. Even with the knowledge that his dad can have heart attack when hearing this info...

And what his family do after all of that??? F***ing nothing. They just forgive & accepted him back to the family with no consequences at all. Not even a little bit punishment or wrath from the family...

Once more OH... MY... GOD... (said it like Janice from FRIENDS. Haha...

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Love amidst books

Romance is a bonus book is a slice of life kdrama that captures the highs and lows of life in the most beautiful, vivid and captivating manner. The drama revolves around a woman, Kang Dan Yi, who puts her career on hold to focus on her marriage and raise her daughter. Unfortunately, her marriage ends in a divorce leaving her penniless, homeless and jobless. Kang Dan Yi seeks help from her best friend, Cha Eun Ho.
As no company wants to hire someone who has been on a career break for years, Dan Yi bets on the one thing she knows best; her love for books and takes up a task support job at a publishing company where her friend Eun Ho is a chief editor. In the quest for achieving professional excellence alongside great friendship, their true feelings for each other comes to light.
The drama is uplifting, inspiring, comforting, motivating and realistic. The story thrives on the ordeals and struggles people go through to get a job especially those who haven't worked for a while. The drama captures the reality on the ground; the tears, disappointments, failed interviews and hopelessness of the unemployed.
However, this drama offers comforts and motivates one not to give up with the hope that there will surely be light at the end of the tunnel. Dan Yi's situation was pitiful and discouraging. This is a woman who couldn't even afford to buy herself a new pair of shoes. She could have shrank but she didn't. She continued to press on and even as a task support, she took on big tasks and contributed accordingly. At the end, her life took a positive turn.
The drama also portrays the day to day activities of a publishing company, Gyeoroo Publishing, which is the main setting of this drama. Every step involved in book publishing is shown and it appreciates the work of key players such as the editor, book designer, marketing and sales team, the illustrator etc. It also highlights the struggles publishing companies go through to make sure a book is a success.
The romantic aspect is not left out either. Dan Yi, in her quest to overcome the challenges of life finds love with her friend Eun Ho. Their romance is soft, sweet, beautiful and healthy. Friends to lovers and Noona romance troupe is exhibited in this drama; one that would make you smile, cringe and make your heart flutter as well.
This drama is one I'd call a masterpiece or a skillful piece of film making. If you're a fan of books, friends to lovers troupe, interested in the publishing world or in need of a drama to comfort you and give you a ray of sunshine, then this drama is for you.

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Your average C-drama

Plot: 6/10
The plot of this drama is actually very shallow, it barely even scratch the surface. Ever since the first episode I could see that the drama didn't really take themselves seriously. They have fun with this silly plot and go along with it. I was entertained with it in the beginning, before the doomed break-up happened. But even before then, when Yi Yang started to come into the picture, this balance of pure comedy and silliness that the drama has, suddenly come into a halt. It felt like someone else demanded that this Yi Yang character needs to be there, and the script has to be rewritten. Because even though the plot was so silly it's borderline crazy, but it was really fun. I have fun refreshing my Viu page to see whether it has been updated with the next episode. Since Yi Yang came, it felt like the fun, the silly, the laughter the drama showed in the beginning just gone.

Then the break-up that went on for far too long, wasting a lot of plot and the screentime of our main couple so much. It felt like it had to be dragged in order to fit Yi Yang in there, even though he didn't even matter. He had little significance to the story, and yet he's there. It made me felt uncomfortable watching him in the drama, it felt like he's just so out of place. Why put him there if he didn't even needed?

Other than Yi Yang, I also felt that this drama suffered from having too many couples at the same time. The most useless would be Bi Ruoshan and Guanji. I don't even understand why they need to be there. Sometimes, they took too much screentime supposedly for our leads, and it caused the story to go stagnant for a while as well. I can still forgive Qin Shiyue and Yu You, as they don't take that much screentime. But still, with this many couple, the time spent for the two main leads also had to be cut down.

This showed started episode 35-36, where everything felt so rushed and so fast. There are times when the editing felt so weird. AND WHERE IS MY WEDDING.

Acting: 6/10
I didn't see any bad performances, but this means there's no one who stand out either. Bai Lu was okay, but most of the time she act like a child, so it didn't matter. The others are okay as supporting character. I might have the biggest problem with Wang Hedi. It's not that he's bad, but it felt like he's not progressing either in his acting. And when I first started the drama I mentioned it to my friend that he looked like a child trying hard to be a CEO. And when he speaks, it shattered my reality of the cold and dominant CEO. He doesn't sound like one. I felt conflicted saying this, but I'd rather him get dubbed.

Production value: 5/10
I don't even know what to say. There are times when I thought the camera angle totally unnecessary, and there are times when I thought it's just too much. The lighting felt off at times, and I kinda feel some discomfort watching some parts because the light is too strong.

Overall, the drama is 6/10. I enjoy the first 14 episodes of the drama, then the last 6 episodes. I like my drama fluffy and fun.

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There's nothing wrong with this series, it's just not for me

Let me start by saying that I know this is one of everyone's favorite fantasy series, and there is nothing wrong with it.

Everything is good: the story, the cast, the acting, the locations, the costumes… The chemistry between the main couple is also undeniable.

So, why did a dropped it? I just think it wasn't for me, and it didn't keep my interest beyond chapter 8.

I guess my problem is more that I'm not interested in historical series, which surprised me because I thought I would love to learn a little about a culture so different from my own.

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BREATH OF FRESH AIR

I came across "A Breeze of Love" on Tiktok, and considering I've already watched 43 Korean BLs just this year, my options will either be to venture again with Thai BLs or just wait for any Korean BL releases this year or next year.

To be honest, the pacing of the drama is "okay-ish" since the main focus is the main leads and their story. But considering how limited the run time is, especially for Korean BLs, they didn't manage to squeeze in any back story aside from the short flashbacks here and there.

1. The cinematography is great; there are some hiccups on some parts (and that's me nitpicking).
2. The plot is open for improvement.
3. The OST songs threw me off on some scenes; there are parts of the scene that really didn't require any emotional music, but I could accept their creative choices.
4. The run time could've easily been extended to ten episodes. This will focus more on understanding what happened after they became a couple.

This drama did not offer anything new (especially on the kinds of KBLs released this year), but you wouldn't hold it against them because, at the end of the day, a good drama will stand without any gimmicks.

Recovering from Bump Up Business, A Breeze of Love did end up meeting my expectations—a simple breath of fresh air.

Not too overcomplicated, just a good Korean BL.

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Overrated for people looking for something else in kdrama nowadays

I cannot say anything about cgi, music or performances. Even tho, no music was good enough for me to remember over the time. And some performances could have been way better but the directing allow them to act « not that well ».

But what I regret is that drama starts off with a very interesting plot and cool special effect we rarely see in dramas. The cinematography is beautiful too.

And then, little by little, we fall in the trap of a standard k-drama plot, which, nowadays especially, is only for fan services for idols and nice looking actors rather than a real plot, complexity, suspense, or without being complexe, something opposed to what we are used to. I mean if you look at it has nothing surprising to offer. Nor great plot or message to tell.

But I guess we call kdramas for a reason and kdrama fans for a reason too as I see the ratings.

I already said something about the acting. If you remove the cool stuffs and beauty… it looks very much like an amateur series in terms of performances.

People are going to say that of course the performances are not perfect since we have rookies. But this is the point… if you can clearly see it, how can you give 10/10 to performances ? Also I am not giving a bad rating because the director knew what he was doing and what kind of public he was aiming at. In that sense, performances are very okay.

Should you give it a go ? In order to support CGI yes but other than that, you can live very well without seeing it.

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Brave new Penthouse!!!!!

My absolute most anticipated series ever and the absolute best of the year in my opinion in all categories. However, want to warn sensitive viewers that this is absolutely not a quiet thriller. It basically has a very picaresque plot, which really feels extremely villainous and very nasty. This is a makjang in an even more extreme form, when you didn't think you could get more in The Penthouse incredibly. Builds on a revenge story in many stages that is anchored in various events. Wilder and crazier than ever, compared to what I've seen before.

These 7 different leads with different backgrounds, captured at the same time. There is a reason that is explained why over time. We find out their motives and backstory, how they are involved and what they have in common. The relationships between the characters, their lifestyles and secrets. Also their goals and life history.

Is there a common motive, what happened to the missing girl and what was the meaning of her. Since everyone is sneaky, there are no hero roles in this one. Everyone ambushes each other. Don't feel that everyone is honorable directly because of their moral choices. Romance is never in focus when it comes to this author's series, as there is more focus on family relationships instead. Family relationships are complicated when they are not united, much dividing their desires and goals. At the same time, there are a lot of families to keep an eye on. The family part is only one aspect of the plot.

A mammoth series that is extremely well made with very epic and grand soundtracks. Also has nice effects with its high production quality. Entertaining through and through and very exciting, there isn't a quiet minute before the next thing happens. Indescribable chaos from start to finish. Raw and crazy without hiding anything. The reason behind the title is revealed over time. Really like her way of writing, how she mixes family, music and thriller at a terrific pace. This year's favorite and my personal favorite along with The Penthouse. A magnificent masterpiece!!!!!!

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Empress Ki was my favorite until this EPIC story came along

For mature audiences who love to watch powerful romantic shows!
Number 1 The music alone would make me want to watch it again, That voice and the melody can really take you to a place of imagery, it was perfect for the show.

Number 2 The ML, had the most sexiest, deep, voice, his timing to respond was excellent. I’ve never seen this actor before, but now I’m going to be looking for everything he plays in. He has a look in his eyes as if what’s happening is true,. I’ve seen hundreds of shows like this one and other types of shows like Wolf, which was my favorite too until this movie!

Number 3 The plot was very well executed, the only thing is , it should have been longer than 20 episodes !

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Can’t hardly go higher than 8 but it deserves all acknowledgment

I guess for most part of the series, everything is on point. The plot, the cast, the performances, the music (which people disagreed on). And then at some point it is like we are watching a different season. Not a different series but different season.

It was disturbing because we needed that development of characters and all to come to this turning point, even tho I can understand why people and the director would find it unnecessary because… we can imagine it.

But it doesn’t help us to get engaged in the story of our characters anymore. I am not sure if another ending would have been better or if netflix said « well we can’t have a longer season » and they cut it out or if a second whole season woud have been needed.

As well… the ending itself (last 2 mns) are lacking « background storyline »… Fortunately we are only talking about 1 last episode tho which is why we are not giving less than 8 for the plot.

Also what is refreshing is that it is finally a series about brotherhood and only brotherhood. Also, we appreciate a lot the humor which is more subtle than what we usually see on kdramas.

What makes it hardly rewatchable is that we know the end. There is no surprise anymore.

But thanks to the incredible performances and the first plot we enjoyed it a lot.

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Loved the cuteness of the main couple

In general, I liked the series, but in the last chapters I was getting exasperated by the extreme innocence of the protagonist.

Although the male lead is not the one I would have chosen, I loved the tenderness of his character and the way he treated her. The age gap didn't matter to me.

Zhao Lu Si is, without a doubt, an excellent actress and convinces with her characters.

On the contrary, I hated the protagonist's 2 friends for almost the entire series. As the chapters went by, the guy improved a little.

The second couple didn't interest me at all, and I ended up skipping many of their scenes.

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