EVERY [ VERTICAL DRAMA ] I’VE WATCHED

Add this one to the top of the list of KBLs that should’ve been a full-length series.

It’s been a LONG time since I’ve been this entranced by a vertical drama - I found myself absolutely glued to the screen watching this one.

Here are few of the reasons why I really loved this one:
— THE PACING : weirdly enough, I felt like it went by really slowly but in a way that had me fully engaged. I think KBLs do this really well - they let you sit in the lives of the characters more. Less flash, more soft and subtle depth of characters (obviously, this only works when you have actors that can pull off multi-layered performances, which this KBL did).
— THE ACTING : so apparently I never knew “N” (Cha Hak Yeon) but um why haven’t you crossed my radar yet?? I loooooved his performance in this. He did such a good job portraying a character that is naturally guarded but still fearfully craves intimacy. And y’all should know by now that I can’t get enough of a good crying scene - his short but raw break down scene had my heart hurting. I can see why he’s considered an “A”-list actor.
— THE CHEMISTRY : i gotta give props to the other ML because his scenes with Hak Yeon felt thick with history, but coated in a soft sugar coating. UGH why isn’t this a full-length series. I would pay so much money to see them act together again.
— THE STORY : okay so the plot wasn’t actually centered around the killing, but I was okay with that, because of the acting performances and the quiet dialogue-heavy scenes. It really sold me.

Sure, I felt the wrap-up was a little too quick, the revenge felt a tad underwhelming, and I would’ve loved to see more of them together, BUT that didn’t sway my rating too much because of how strong I felt all the other elements were together.

Now, I’m off to watch a bunch of Cha Hak Yeon’s other works haha.

— incredible and natural acting from the MLs
— I really liked the fact that they were exes and the plot was centered around making sense of a misunderstanding years prior - it was a refreshing change of pace
— THE CHEMISTRY - this is what really sold the story - their emotional chemistry (angry, yearning, happy, etc.) really felt like they had YEARS of history between them. No awkward first love discoveries, just two people who once loved each other, had a falling out, and reconnected for closure. Really well done.
— the ending was a little short but didn’t feel rushed (like most vertical dramas) - it felt natural, soft, and emotionally-earned. And the fact they’re exes actually makes a shorter ending work better - they’ve already been together before, so they just pick up where they left off and are physically comfortable with each other.

Honestly, I was really surprised by this one. The plot wasn’t anything special, and I could easily predict the plot. However, it was refreshingly simple. Of course, it had some of our favorite tropes, but the simple storyline allowed for the actors to really sit in their emotional chemistry with each other. I definitely felt more connected to these characters than other vertical dramas I’ve seen.

The only real negative I have is that it wasn’t long enough. HIGHLY recommend.

— I've been on a Zeng Hui + Ha Yu Tong kick lately and LOVED this one. As expected, they over-delivered in chemistry. It's always so electric with them, and I consistently appreciate how comfortable they are with casual physical intimacy (which makes sense considering they're partners in real life). It makes everything feel 10x more authentic.
— I think this may be my favorite of theirs, in terms of emotional acting. The plot wasn't super over the top and allowed for them to really commit to the emotional moments in the story. If it were any other actors who couldn't make you feel like they had YEARS of history, this story wouldn't have worked.
— Let's talk plot. - some may call it boring, but I thought it was perfectly simple. Exes reunite after years of built-up resentment and simultaneous longing, and slowly builds until the FL can't take it anymore. Then after both realize they were wrong, the rush back to each other and the falling on the knees apologizing? Perfect. That sounds like real human relationships to me. Every scene felt emotionally weighted and high-stakes without being life-or-death drama.
— okay, we need to talk about the music choices and editing - nothing over-produced or over-dramatic. Everything felt well-placed and intentional. It was soooo refreshing.
— the Radiohead song at the climax of them devastated after learning how much they needed each other for years? Pair that with their tear-filled kisses. Pure cinema. UGH SO GOOD.

— the ONLY thing that made the rating a tad lower than a 10/10, was the story did drag a little bit in the middle. You could definitely tell they were trying to find believable but not outlandish sub plots to fill the space. But literally, that's it haha. It was so fun and probably one of the only vertical dramas I'll rewatch several times.

— no dubbed voices - AMAZING (made all the acting feel more authentic and raw)
— ML is so down-bad for FL (reminds me of "Perfect Marriage Revenge" - the ML is willing to do anything to help the FL get revenge)
— I’m obsessed with how much these men love fierce women - it’s a nice change from the normal vertical dramas
— okay, but the acting was incredible - this was my first Ke Chun drama, and I can effectively say that I’m a fan - his micro-expressions have me in a chokehold
— the leads had electric chemistry but were also able to deliver the emotional scenes to feel just as honest and intimate
— as is with most dramas, I felt the wrap-up at the end was a tad rushed, BUT I still enjoyed it

Now we just need a series on the ML’s brother and his wife because omg she’s such a baddie and I may be in love with the both of them haha

Okay wait, this one was so fun! Here are few of my favorite things about this drama:

the best part of this series was the FL:
— actually smart and didn’t put up with anybody’s crap
— STRONG and just a badass all around haha it was amazing

the dynamic between the FL and ML:
— insane chemistry
— the sub/dom vibes were immaculate and worked perfectly
— the ML was soooo down-bad for his girl (we love a man that begs haha)
— they were both equally clever and constantly gaining the upper hand on each other

the plot was fine:
— while the storyline felt a bit thin at times, it still had me on edge
— honestly, the weak-ish storyline worked because of how ELECTRIC chemistry between the leads - I didn’t really notice the plot holes after awhile, I was having too much fun haha

— HILARIOUS - haha I loved this plot idea - two rich people desperate to get married fake being poor because they think that's what the other wants. Honestly, one of the only miscommunication tropes that works.
— the chemistry was fantastic (as it should be for irl partners Zeng Hui and Han Yu Tong) and their comedic timing was so fresh and quick. I'd love to see them in more comedic roles because they were fantastic.
— NO DUBBING - the voices were their own and it made it 10x better. ESPECIALLY the kids! They weren't dubbed with some adult pretending to be a child, ugh it was so refreshing lol.

I was actually surprised when I saw how low it was rated on MDL, because I had a blast with this one haha.

— snappy & quick editing (felt very fresh and upbeat)
— HILARIOUS (the chaos and crazy antics had me actually laughing - classic high school boys)
— one of the only times inner dialogues enhanced a vertical drama (the back and forth between all the characters' thoughts while they each spiral into inner chaos made it 10x funnier hahaha)
— I don't know how to explain it, but most high school verticals lean too heavy into "drama" and make the characters feel WAY too mature and serious for actual high school students. These characters, however, felt like actual teenage boys with hilarious misunderstanding, obvious relationship inexperience, and unhinged inner dialogues only boys going through puberty would have. -- it just felt utterly "high school"
— sure, the plot was simple, left "unfinished," and a love confession would've been nice, but that honestly didn't bother me much because of the script's quick wit and chaotic playfulness

Lots of the reviews I saw were criticizing the ending or taking some of the script's satirical choices on comedy. HOWEVER, if you go into it without any expectations and just to have fun, you'll really enjoy it. These characters are hilariously unserious, and this one may be one of the few vertical drama's I could see myself rewatching start-to-finish.

This honestly was incredible, and I really wish it was a full series (*and a BL*... What?! Who said that???)

— INSANE acting from the two leads, but I was in awe of the actor who played Jiang Yan - INCREDIBLE
— gripping plot for the most part, got a tad confused at times, but overall the investigation was intriguing with a satisfying wrap-up (albeit rushed but still good)

— this one felt so fresh and different - I would've LOVED to see this as a full-length drama
— the cinematography was artsy and felt very "Hong Kong"
— the plot, while it had a few holes, felt well-rounded with a clear progression and story
— soft chemistry - not sure how to explain it but their chemistry felt so comfortable? Idk but it was refreshing and felt very natural.
— THIS is how you act for a "cold" or emotionally closed-off ML - NOT stiff or emotionless - he did such a wonderful job at layering his acting (especially micro-expressions and eye-acting)

I'm going to be honest here, I skimmed through this one hardcore. The toxic abusive, "I'm going to kill you. I love you. Wait, I hate you." relationship is not necessarily my cup of tea.

HOWEVER, the ONE scene I watched was the second/third-ish to last scenes.

HOLY CRAP. The acting??? The emotions, the actors not afraid to look ugly from the pain their characters were feeling, and, as gross as it sounds, the messiness of the blood as they're holding each other. Dude, it feel so real. I immediately rewatched it like 7 times and found myself tearing up for characters I knew absolutely nothing about. Y'all. Go watch the ending, if anything. Well, except the very last scene. It made no sense whatsoever lol. But seriously, this is probably the best "actively dying" acting I've seen from vertical drama ML.

— felt slower paced for a short drama (which I really liked)
— THE ACTING! It wasn't super over-dramatic and felt natural
— the BEST ACTING goes to the 2nd lead (the best friend) - holy crap I was mesmerized by his subtle but emotional acting; it made me immediately look up his other works
— plot wasn't anything special but the pacing and minimal, high quality production made up for it

— great acting & chemistry
— fairly grounded storyline (compared to other vertical dramas)
— production quality/cinematography was impressive

— I actually had a blast with this one haha
— the lead’s acting felt really authentic It made me want to look up more of their dramas
— chemistry between the two leads was ELECTRIC
— plot was unique and fast-paced
— as is with most vertical dramas, the wrap-up was a little rushed with some plot holes
— there were some boring parts I skipped through, but overall I pretty much watched it start to finish

— K2 meets C-drama revenge plot - even though it was a revenge story like dozen of vertical dramas I've seen, it felt fresh and exciting. Perhaps it was the pacing? Every few scenes there was an unexpected change that forced our leads to deviate from their plan. It kept me on my toes.
— the ML looks like Ji Chang Wook. Sue me.
— The leads, for the most part, were smart, calculating, and mentally strong
— the power dynamic shifted between the ML and FL consistently throughout the drama - one minute the ML has the upper hand, and the next minute the FL's ulterior motive is in control. Even though they both knew the other had a hidden agenda, they trusted each other with high stakes decisions. It was a refreshing take on power dynamics. They truly felt like equals.
— one of the first times a vertical drama villain had me actually disgusted to the point I couldn't even look at the screen. So, I guess, good job?

room for improvement:
— I wish the ending was a tad longer and didn't involve a pregnancy plot twist - not sure why so many c-dramas have one, but I wish, in this action drama specifically, they would have gone a different route. Maybe adopting kids or no kids at all? It would make sense with her trauma that she wouldn't want/be able to carry a child. Or even if we saw a scene of them in a slower life, like traveling or sitting at home cuddling on the couch together. but, eh, it's whatever, just a personal opinion.
— there were quite a few plot points & storylines that were sacrificed for the sake of a fast-paced drama - ultimately I don't really mind. I had fun.

Okay, here's the deal. I has a BLAST with this one. It would easily be rated 10/10 if not for the following things:
— the sound production was A MESS - large portions without any music, overlapping voice tracks, overwhelmingly loud background music, and countless scenes that switched between 5+ different songs in the span of 60 seconds.
— the ending felt incredibly unsatisfying - so many questions, no closure for the romance, lack-luster finale confrontation to save a character we barely know, and a missing official identity reveal to the family. - It would have been 10x better if they even went the cliche route of the family being kidnapped and the FL's identity being revealed through saving them. Or even the ML gets taken and she has to save him. Literally anything else haha. And I know, it could just be set up for a season 2, but they didn't give us really any closure with any character leaving me disappointed.

HOWEVER - I STILL LOVED THIS ONE.
— BADASS woman assassin leader. LOVE. HER. I'd let her boss me around any day.
— the humor was so quick and fun
— I really liked that the plot didn't feel like it overpowered the characters - sometimes these vertical dramas have mystery/crime plots that take FOREVER to explain or resolve. In this one, our FL is always on top of things. No one can get a word out of the captured bad guy? No problem. Let me just threaten to cut his limbs off with a knife. Problem solved. Hahaha I love her.
— biggest plus? The defying of tropes:
----- adopted sister who isn't evil, but a ride-or-die for the FL,
----- a family who absolutely loves the FL and would do anything for her (and each other),
----- the romantic interest is not tsundre assassin, but he's a goofy rich boy hilariously obsessed with impressing the FL. But most of all, he is such a loser in love. Hahaha I love it (I just wish we got more of their relationship).

Okay, so this plot was all over the place, the drama between the MLs felt messy and complicated, and the wrap-up was rushed and lacking in a little bit of emotional substance. Despite all of that, I found myself enjoying its messiness.

I don’t know if I can fully put into words why I rated it as high as did, but here are few aspects that I really enjoyed:
— their chemistry was pretty good and they felt emotionally present in their emotionally-charged scenes with each other
— while the kisses where not great, their NC scenes were delicious haha and their dynamic felt kinda KinnPorsche-esque?
— the biggest plus for me was how there wasn’t a stereotypical “weak one” and “strong one” - I honestly thought that Ran was the more badass one, even though he found himself in many dangerous situations bc of his motivations. But they could both fight and they both weren’t afraid to pull the trigger (MULTIPLE times) - I absolutely adored the character of “Ran” and would’ve loved if they allowed his character more dialogue driven moments to pull on my heart strings even more then he already did.
— The most consistent acting quality came from Top. There were quite a few scenes where I was entranced by Top’s portrayal of Ran’s pain and grief-driven revenge. I think if the other actors matched his acting, it would have elevated the quality of this drama significantly.

Don’t watch this one with high expectations, but just enjoy the chaos haha.

— kept watching for Yu Sin - I love his acting (especially in emotional scenes), and I wish he had more full-length series
— I had a good time overall, but I definitely skipped quite a bit of scenes
— the last leg of episodes, though?? The ones in the past?? INCREDIBLE (I honestly wish the series was about this storyline) — the actors felt at home in these versions of their characters, especially the FL - she felt so natural as a emotionally-distant badass rebel
— the rating would have been lower if not for the last third of the series (and Yu Sin’s acting obviously)

— the acting was really great - I felt every complex emotion the ML was having, his micro-expressions were AMAZNG
— I appreciated the fact that the 2ML wasn’t a revenge-hungry ex or a horrible person - he was just another human being with complex feelings and motivations.
— the ML’s trauma with his mom, as horrifically sad as it was, felt very realistic and grounded - his self-destructive responses to his guilt and shame made sense for someone dealing with ptsd ALONE.
— the lack of overpowering background music was soooo refreshing - it really allowed for he actors to connect with the audience and added to the emotionally-introspective vibes of the drama.

Okay, so this one would EASILY be a 10/10 if it weren’t for the following:
— the other ML felt like he was lacking in some character layers? I would have LOVED to have more backstory on his trauma and past.
— I felt they gave too much screen time to the 2ML - it made me question at times who the actual love-interest was.
— while the plot centered around mental health + trauma, for some reason I felt like it was missing something near the end? The build up and the “fix” to his depression/attempt felt a little flat or lacking in depth? I felt the writers were respectful in writing their ptsd for the majority of the story, until the ending… I think I’d feel differently if maybe they had more meaningful dialogue or have a few moments where he fully opens up to the other ML? Not sure.