Jumpy pacing, weird editing, Half-baked acting

Having heard so much about this one and how iconic of a BL it was, I really went into this with high expectations. And unfortunately, I was so disappointed.

The drama seemed off from the start. The dialogue is quippy — and almost constantly. There's barely any room for conversation that sounds natural or is more serious because they're always joking or making banter to upbeat music. I constantly felt like I was missing something, like the development between the characters was constantly skipping steps and we were rushing to get to the certain moments. I grew confused about what the relationships between characters were, like if there was a love triangle that suddenly appeared and disappeared.

I also think the editing for the show was off. It jumped from scene to scene, often giving me whiplash. I think the drama was in dire need of more "transition" scenes (think lingering on people just spending time together, cutting to empty sets, scenic views before going into the other plotlines). Instead the show sometimes would cut from one story directly to another during what seemed like in the middle of a scene. But other than that, even the editing for scenes sometimes seemed weirdly cut.

I also didn't really connect to the acting of any characters; part of this is because of the previous two comments — the pacing and dialogue didn't give the characters or actors time to marinate. The leads have their moments that really put a smile on my face, but other than that, I still didn't really feel that the emotional scenes were earned or convincing. The chemistry fluctuates. As for the side characters, I didn't care at all about their stories at all, and the chemistry also wasn't there.

I know most people were most disappointed by the ending and the lack of intimacy between the characters. I definitely do agree with this to some extent. Adding overblown drama in the form of a cliche misunderstanding in the penultimate episode really wasted time, especially when the plot point felt like something that should've come earlier. The truth is, though, that by the time I got there, I already didn't feel any stakes or emotional investment.

Overall, this is a drama that might've been big when it came out, but I've personally seen way better BLs — better plot, better chemistry — that have come out since then. Two that I've recently watched: Bad Buddy and Not Me.

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Mystery > Romance

I rarely find myself preferring the thriller to the romance in a thriller romance, but that was definitely the case here. So it was kind of a shame that this drama only really doubled down on the main mystery plot in the last few episodes, which turned out to be my favorite.

I really didn’t connect to the romance for multiple reasons, the first one being that the main female lead was possessed by someone else for much of it. I found myself constantly questioning who the ML was really falling for and when it was all reasoned at the end into “it was her all along,” it didn’t really feel earned. Other than that, the chemistry between the leads wasn’t really there and it felt like there was a large age gap (or at least maturity gap) between the leads.

My main issue with the romance and general plot, though, happens during those moments of possession. The second female lead (the ghost) thinks the reason she can’t pass on is because she died a virgin, and so she spends all of her screen time trying to sleep with the ML by touching him, climbing into his bed, etc. It’s really uncomfortable to watch, especially since all of it is just played off for laughs. I don’t think this aspect added anything to the story either — she could’ve very well thought she had another grudge and still made her personality loud and bubbly so that the ML would notice her acting different.

If they had spent less time with the romance, we could’ve really gotten more time expanding on the mystery, which was the most interesting part. The unearthing of the backstory is satisfying, but I wish we got more reactions from other characters, or some explanation about character motivations and plot developments.

Still, this is pretty light-hearted and fun watch. It feels like another 2010s drama classic, for sure.

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A sequel that goes through the motions

I didn't realize until I started watching that this isn't REALLY a direct sequel — it sort of takes place in an alternate universe where a lot of things are similar but not exactly the same, including the game that they played.

With that being said, I felt like the drama found itself in a really confusing position between being a standalone and a sequel. You can't really watch this one without watching the first season because you'd miss out on a lot of fun references and be way more confused about what exactly the backstory is, but if you HAD watched the first one already, this drama felt very repetitive and watered down.

I don't really care much about the switch from e-sports to robotics and I think it definitely did get more interesting, but I don't feel the stakes much, mostly because S1 focused more on the story element and S2 focuses more on the romantic element.

Still, the plot did grow on me over time; the first 10 or so episodes were really hard to get through because I didn't care for the characters (who all felt different) or the romance.

I really didn't like the romance in the beginning of the drama. While I always enjoy a little bit of one-sided pining from my male leads, it felt very random to start the story with him idolizing her to that extent without having interacted with her directly. It made a lot of the so-called romantic scenes feel unearned. At the start, feel similarly with the second lead couple — their beginning felt very out-of-the-blue and it was like they didn't know each other at all and the relationships somehow got serious.

The drama gets a little better after we get through those and the leads start interacting more, and I really do like how there were not many misunderstandings or annoying side characters.

There is, however, one scene that I just have to talk about. After the leads are already together, there's one moment where the ML becomes rough and drags the FL into a car out of insecurity and jealousy. It's played off like a misunderstanding because she didn't know what was happening, but NOTHING excuses how much force he used. It was a little out-of-character but regardless of that, it was terrifying and was probably the worst part of the show.

In terms of the characters, they also feel watered down compared to the original, especially because there were a lot of actor swaps. Some grew on me, like Wang Hao and Mi Shao Fei, but I really couldn't reconcile the Appledog in this with the one in the first season. She was mature and intimidating there, and with the new actress being shorter and more bubbly and smiley, Appledog felt like a completely different character. It really felt like the casting director and the writers didn't know how to write a romance drama with the original dynamic and instead reverted to the easy formula of quiet ML/bright FL.

In conclusion, I really think this drama got better and was a light-hearted low-stakes watch, though it's far longer than it has to be. It ends on a high note, and I personally enjoyed how the FL was shown as capable (and compared to the first one, very non-cringy) but I feel like most people who loved the first one would be disappointed.

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Way too dragged out

This part felt twice as long as it needed to be, and it was very hard to feel any stakes compared to the first part.

The plot was really dragged out. It got even more annoying when side characters had information and just didn't share it because "it would happen anyways." It really made the plot move way more slowly than it needed.

Second, after the serious note we ended the first part on, the second part really needed to match the high stakes in the first one. Instead, the drama tried to repeat the funny and light-hearted vibe we started the first drama in, relying on parallel scenes and humor. It felt out-of-place and doesn't really move the story forwards.

Aside from this, it was very romance-focused, giving us a push-and-pull between the leads that got very repetitive when I would've much preferred for the story to move forwards faster, especially since it felt like the antagonists had stayed exactly where they were in season 1.

Honestly, I just didn't really buy into the romance. After the epic love story we got in part 1, the one in here felt watered down and I didn't really see a reason for the main lead to fall for them again.

I generally found it very difficult to connect the female lead we saw in this one with the Naksu from part 1. While I think it's fine for her, having gotten amnesia, to be brighter and more innocent, I wish we still saw more moments of sassiness and less scenes that just referenced part 1 to be clever.

Overall, it really just feels like they spent too much time on the romance and humor and ended up cramming the plot in the last 2 episodes. I'm glad about how the story ended up, but really didn't like how we got there or how it was paced.

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Mellow but underwhelming

I know this one is getting glowing reviews but it really felt underwhelming to me. Objectively I think everything is well-written, but I just didn't really feel the spark in it.

To start with the good things, it's definitely a mellow, down-to-earth drama. No conflicts feel overblown, there aren't any purely evil villain characters, and misunderstandings are understandable and realistic. I also think the age gap was handled really respectfully; they talk about it explicitly and emphasize that it began one-sided (that it would be weird otherwise). By the time feelings are revealed, the characters are older and wiser, and the romance is mature and communicative.

Ironically, I think this is one of the few dramas that would've benefitted from having a little more drama so that I would feel more stakes. I don't know if the story with the ML's backstory got as much closure as I would've wanted, considering it was the most interesting part since aside from the romance, SZ unfortunately doesn't feel that well-rounded.

Another thing is that the side characters feel lacking. The best one was Sang Zhi's older brother; the sibling relationship was perfectly depicted and hilarious, but I do wish we knew more about him outside of it. Similarly, we get hints of the friends, roommates, and coworkers of our two leads, but they're not really fleshed beyond the cookie-cutter roles of side characters in dramas (the boy-crazy one, the smart one, the tomboy, etc.), and they definitely felt sidelined in favor of the leads. It's understandable — after all, they are leads — but it made scenes where the leads weren't together feel bland.

I really do think this would be enjoyable to viewers who like romance dramas that are low-stress, mellow, and mature, like You Are My Glory. For me, I think there's an element of liveliness that I really missed, whether it was between the leads or the other people around them.

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A badass FL and the perfect balance of thriller & romance

I went into this one kind of nervous — I thought it would be pretty soapy and I'm not a huge fan of dramas about catfights between rich people.

BUT. Wow. I was so impressed right off the bat with the FL's personality. She's strong, straightforward, and stubborn, and most importantly is proud of who she is and stands up for it. It was so refreshing, and the drama did an amazing job of making her still seem human and flawed, susceptible to temptations. I couldn't have asked for a better protagonist or a better actress; Park Gyu-young absolutely KILLED it.

I also found that this was just the perfect balance between thriller/mystery and romance. Their scenes fit seamlessly into the plot and of course they're the scenes I'll always go back to rewatch.

Plot-wise, this was just so bingeable. There are annoying side characters but they never overwhelm the plot (or our main lead), and they're actually given each given a bit of backstory as well, which also never seemed out-of-place.

I do think there was a trade-off to be made with the 12 (instead of 16) episode format. On one hand I really loved the fast pacing, but I also wish we had a little more time to handle the final conflict/mystery. There are some more confrontations and reunions I wish we got, some more conversations I wish we saw. But it's small potatoes in the grand scheme of just how much I actually enjoyed watching this show.

Overall, I'm still really impressed with how they wrapped up the ending. It's immensely satisfying but I wouldn't be opposed to a season 2 considering the suspicious final cameo we got...;)

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My favorite vigilante gang ever

Going into this knowing it was thriller/romance, I already knew I would love it. But I wasn't prepared for how powerful the social message would be. In fact, I think this turned out to be more sociopolitical, and the thriller was kind of a side dish, but as someone who loves when there are stakes for the characters outside of themselves, it was perfect to see. It made the plot seem so much bigger than I expected without ever making it feel like the main characters were over-important or had plot armor.

Character-wise, I absolutely loved SeanWhite together and as individuals — it was beautiful to watch them fall in love while dealing with the looming secret identity reveal and the stress of starting a social movement. They’re definitely the best part of the show.

The side characters were really fleshed out as well: Yok, Dan, Gram, Gumpa, and even the female characters were generally good additions to the cast.

The only character I might’ve wanted to see more of would’ve been Black, who not only had such a powerful on-screen presence thanks to Gun’s amazing acting but also was probably one of the best-written characters in the show and the perfect example of how “things unsaid” can be the most heart-wrenching things ever if the writers do it well.

Black’s best scenes were with White (once again, amazing acting) and then Todd — call it toxic but but the chemistry between them was absolutely palpable. Black/Gram was absolutely something I became invested in straightaway and I’m still sad the show went in a different direction. It’s not a deal-breaker (nothing was, considering how much I still ended up loving this show) but it’s a shame the red herring turned out to be more intriguing than the truth.

I think that’s why some people having been saying the thriller part was predictable, but I personally don’t completely agree. I don’t think it was the most twisted whodunnit, but once White joined the group (basically episode 2) it became clear that there would be so much more to the story.

Overall, such a great watch. I'm so satisfied by the ending and there are definitely scenes I'll go back to. Also — the theme song is so good, I didn't skip it ONCE.

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The Pinnacle of Youth Dramas

Oh my god. I really don't know what I'm going to do with my life now that this show is over.

At first glance this might seem like every other Chinese youth drama — sunshine FL/quiet ML, some grade-obsessed parents, sports day, a playful second couple — but so many things actually made this drama shine above all others.

The first thing is just how the plot really feels like a coming-of-age drama, without being overdramatic or sugary. I know it might be fun and inspiring when we watch a youth drama and a friend group is depressed when they find out someone's transferring schools, only to band together to stop it. But in real life, there are a lot of things outside our control and the only thing you can do is let it happen, know you can get through it, remember everyone still cares for each other at the end of the day — no matter the circumstances. That's what this drama did: physical obstacles were rarely overblown into emotional obstacles. It might sound bittersweet, but the fact that the plot flowed this way made it ten times more relatable to real life.

It really also meant that each character was given their time in the spotlight. Every person dealt with something themselves and everyone else was there to support them. Each person in the friend group had a distinct personality and subplot and it never felt choppy or random. It felt simply like learning more about your friends over time. WIFTY struck a perfect balance between giving its characters freedom and still making them feel inseparable that I don't think I've seen done so well in any other show.

I need more drama writers to take notes from Su Zai Zai, who seems like a typical bubbly FL on the surface but was actually really straightforward, stood up for herself, was smart in her own right, and had her own goals and was realistic in chasing them. She's absolute proof that giving an FL a crush doesn't mean it has to become her entire personality.

Zhang Lu Rang was a fantastic ML too. Once again, he might seem like the typical quiet and smart ML, but he was never mean or rude or overly perfect, and he had his flaws too that SZZ perfectly balanced out. This drama perfectly encapsulated why they belonged together. This was one of the rare dramas where the couples didn't get boring for me after they got together.

In fact, the chemistry is absolutely amazing between both couples, who also had their distinct dynamic and plot development.

Between the friendship warming up your heart and the romance giving me butterflies, there are absolutely no moments in this drama that I would skip. The OST fits perfectly and the cinematography is beautiful. The only bad thing I can say about this drama is that it ends.

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Thrilling and impressive cohesion

I went into this with middle-of-the-road expectations and was so blown away by it. Although it took me a little bit to get into it, it really grew on me.

Tunnel had a really good balance of humor and thriller, the time-travel aspect was used really intelligently, and character stories were tied together surprisingly well. That last point, with the characters, was probably my favorite part of the entire drama. I was so impressed with how characters fit into the timeline and into each other's lives.

I was also pretty satisfied with how the mystery was wrapped up. I still definitely wanted a little more — like wanting one more reunion, one last conversation, but overall I thought it was overall really well thought-out.

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More like a variety show

I only watched this because it was for some reason the last episode of the drama on TV Time. Like the other reviews said, this isn't a special episode or more of the story, it's actually a variety show episode where the actors travel around New York and do tourist things, like eat street food, take pictures with landmarks, hang out with street performers, etc.

Honestly, I don't really care about anything happening in real life (actors, places) when I watch media, so I also went into this without any expectations. It was surprisingly funny and the fact that the actors sort of stayed in character for most of it was really enjoyable.

Still, I wouldn't normally watch something that isn't part of the fiction, and I wouldn't say it's required watching either.

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Part 2 of possibly my favorite HYD Adaptation

Link to my review of Part 1: https://mydramalist.com/profile/7498003/reviews/280267

I sort of knew, going into this season, that my rating for the second part would be lower than that of the first part for the simple reason that there are a lot of new tropes that I dislike even more — amnesia, disapproving parent, etc. And that was certainly the outcome; I just generally didn't like this part as much even though the chemistry between the leads was still there, and I still really enjoyed both characters generally.

A lot of my comments from Part 1 are the same; I still love the female lead's character. She was headstrong and brave but without seeming naive and impulsive like other HYD interpretations. This season had a lot more of the ML being mean BUTTT I actually don't think it was as bad as the other adaptations.

With that being said, the benefit of the fast pacing still applies — Fewer episodes meant those tropes weren't dragged out, but it might, to a new viewer, feel like the subplots weren't in depth enough. Therefore, when we got to the secondary couple arc, I don't think it really had enough emotional weight.

Nevertheless, I really think this might be my favorite HYD adaptation that I've seen — I loved the main leads the most in this version and it's worth watching for them alone.

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Possibly my favorite HYD adaptation that I've seen

As someone who hates the poor girl/rich boy trope, the toxic male lead trope, the amnesia trope, the kidnapping trope, the disapproving parent trope, and more, I went into this adaptation of HYD with a lot of doubt and trepidation — especially since I'd watched several other versions before (BOF, 2018 MG, F4 Thailand in that order) and not really enjoyed them for a multitude of reasons, from cringy writing to weak acting.

To my surprise, this was actually really fun to watch, and dare I say it, this might be my favorite version of HYD that I've seen.

The main reason is really the two main leads, who not only had insane chemistry but also managed to balance serious dramatics with humor really well. Domyoji was really lovable despite his toxic flaws, and Makino was a particularly impressive, being a strong female lead who stood up for herself and her friends without ever coming across as being naive/stupid, brainlessly impulsive, judgmental, or wishy-washy (which had been my criticisms of other HYD FLs).

I think the pacing was also a benefit. The fact that there were so few episodes meant that annoying misunderstandings weren't dragged out; arcs flew by fast, making this a better adaptation for people who already have some knowledge of the original story. I do think, however, that if a viewer is going into this story blind, it might feel too fast, as there are a lot of subplots with new side characters that aren't really given time to marinate.

Basically I loved the main leads the most in this version, but the side characters better in the others. Nevertheless, I actually would recommend this! It's short, it's quick, and it's fun.

Link to my review of part 2: https://mydramalist.com/profile/7498003/reviews/280275

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Typical but fun

This is pretty much as cliche as you could get but it was still a pretty fun watch. My favorite part of this is the reversal of the typical roles — the girl is headstrong and popular, the guy is quiet and shy. It was really refreshing and the chemistry was there for sure.

I really wish the plot was more down-to-earth because the second half devolved into more tropes; the evil second female lead trope is really outdated, and the stalker trope also seems randomly dramatic.

Other than that, it was fun and it was cool to see the references to Best Mistake too.

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Like a warm hug

Add this to the list of dramas that make me want to move to the countryside and run a little bookstore.

I loved almost everything about this drama. The yearning of the main couple is impeccable, the warmth of the bookstore and the town was so comforting, and I grew to love all the side characters as well, from the family members to the book club. The show handles darker and heavier topics of domestic violence and familial issues relatively well.

With that being said, this drama still fell victim to the episode 15 curse. The last minute separation trope is one of my least favorite plot devices of all time and this drama is an example of why. The plot started falling apart with the characters' (particularly the female lead's) decision-making around those heavier topics, and the time jump felt underdeveloped and unnecessary.

Still, this was an amazing watch; I know some people complained that it was too slow but it was perfect for me. It's one of the dramas you watch wrapped up in a blanket with a cup of hot tea, and you just let it warm you up.

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