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An excellent story & cast

This extremely long series is worth ever minute of every episode to devote your time to.
The first couple of episodes are to be followed in detail, because it can be a little confusing as they set the foundation to the story line, but getting beyond that, this turns out to be an absolutely outstanding "epic" drama.
Hyun-Joong gives an incredible performance. He's practically unrecognizable from his past acting dramas due to his physical transformation for fighting ... and he does a lot of it throughout. He takes a beating and gives them out as well in almost every episode. It's actually exhausting to watch at times.
Ok Ryeon & Gaya both pair up great with Jeong Tae. The supporting cast is equally fantastic, producing some really evil characters that you just counted the minutes to see them get their demise. I loved Mo Il Hwa played by Jae Rim. He was great at adding drama, fighting & comedy when needed ... was great at the side of Jeong Tae. They start out as enemies, but quickly form a bond of needed friendship & support.
Despite the length of the series, it goes rather quickly ... in fact, in the end you kind of want it to continue because of the attachment you get to seeing these characters.
One of Hyun-Joong's best by far!!!!!

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Very Unique BL Story

This was a really good drama with a few twists throughout the episodes that make for a very interesting story. Both Ritsu & Fumiya and extremely likeable characters in this and you really want things to work out after the accident, which causes the unusual memory loss.
You kind of are expecting something bad to expose what Fumiya has been doing in keeping the past a secret to Ritsu, but you really can't figure out how that's going to play out.
Once everything is exposed, you really hope, but are not sure how things will be corrected. Kyoya Honda & Suzuki Kosuke both do a great job on screen struggling to bring things together again. It's enjoyable to watch them work it out.
I really liked the ending. I thought it was a great finish to a unique BL story.
Definitely worth watching.

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A Brilliantly Written Epic ... One of the best I've ever seen

This series was absolutely one of the best written, best acted dramas I ever watched. It's an extremely lengthy series, but it's so fantastic, each hour & fifteen minute episode flies by.
From the moment Tae Yeong/Deok I & Seung Hwi/Yum Gyeom meet, you know a special relationship is forming, despite their different status in society.
I think Episode 4 is definitely the first pinnacle episode and shifts the entire series into a different direction. Several shocking revelations really work into the rest of the story ... but then again, every episode after that seemed to just extending the storyline with amazing new plot twists. It was great to try and anticipate what direction the writers were going with this tale, and sometimes it was a really shock.
Young Woo & Ji Yeon were absolutely brilliant & masterful with their performance throughout. Not only Young Woo playing a duel role, but he made himself different with body language and personality depending on which character was in that scene.
I'm not sure when nominations for awards are given out in South Korea, but they both deserve winning something for their performances.
Without a doubt, one of the best characters in this drama was Man Seok, played by Jae Won. He was the comic relief in this epic. So many good supporting roles in the cast, but he was the best. That character gave you a laugh just when you needed one. He was teamed up perfectly with Young Woo as well. Two best friends performing slapstick comedy together.
The way this wraps up in episode 16 is nothing less than magical. The plot really takes you in one complete circle. Just when you have nothing but despair in that last episode, don't give up hope, it's a great finish to a great story!! One of my favorites!
"Happiness does not need to be a struggle" is a quote from this series ... but they sure made it out to be.

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A Marathon of BL Storylines

I really was surprised how good this series turned out to be. I enjoyed the first season of Love Class, but never thought the sequel would be so much better. It was kind of interesting to see three different stories going on at the same time, each of them connected to each other in their own unusual way.
The most interesting story, naturally was the main one between Hyeon & An. J-Min & Yong Seok were great. Lots of mystery between these two from their past together, so that made for a very interesting set up as to how they were eventually going to get back together again.
The really comedy part of this, and there were lots of funny moments in this series, came with Sung Min & Joo Hyuk. They were meant to be together from minute one in this drama. It was great to see it unfold.
The last episode was a bit too stretched out between all three couples getting together, but at the very conclusion, the ending was just great, couldn't have ended in a better way.
Very entertaining to watch, drama, mystery & comedy rolled into one series with a great cast working well together.

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The Red Thread of Fate

This was kind of an interesting approach to two people destined to be together. In the beginning, both Si On & Hong Seok really didn't deem like the likely pair to become a couple. Totally didn't worlds for each of them, but as Si On states at the end, "People who are really meant to be together are connected by a red thread between their little fingers"
The story itself seemed original, one character trying to live a very innocent life and establish a career, one living a bit of a darker side of life. Yet, both people holding pain inside from their youth.
The story seemed to work, although it seemed a bit rushed to get to the finish line. Normally these kind of stories take too long, but I think this could have been extended a bit to make a longer journey to get to the end.
Both Young Woo & Tae Min definitely matched up well together, making for a realistic relationship.
Overall very enjoyable.

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The Power Of Music

There's so many people to have sympathy for in this series, whether is was for the loss of a family member, a lost love or a forbidden love that was not allowed to be expressed.
There's an enormous transformation in characters from start to finish in these episodes, all for the good.
All the actors were great in this, but I felt an extra special performance from Han Gyeom. What he brought out in his character of Do Yun was really above and beyond. The scene with him and Jung Ha as Ju Ha late in the series in the locker room was such well performed and special written part of the drama. Just fantastic.
The way the writers brought all the story plots together with all the characters at the very end was perfect.
Very enjoyable and a really feel good series to watch again.

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Cute Feel Good Series To Watch

The Series had a good feel to it from the very beginning. You could tell this would be a series with some good BL drama, but with a little comedy mixed in at just the right times.
I think the chemistry between Seo Bin & Ji Woong worked perfectly together. . They both gave great performances, giving you a drip from your eye at just the right times.
Ji Woong does a great job at really making you like his character by the end, a complete opposite feeling when you're first introduced to him. Seo Bin does a great job keeping you on the side of his role throughout the series.
In the end it pretty much goes the way you hoped it would end up, but with a few twists thrown in.
Great series to watch to walk away feeling good!

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Brilliant Acting

I began watching this movie expecting to see the warm smile good natured Kim Hyun Joong that we are used to seeing. What I saw was a shocking, brilliant performance last was ongoing for 80 minutes.
As the story evolves, you are taken inside the mind of a tortured man. Hyun Joong literally grabs you by the hand and takes you into the hell his mind is experiencing.
As he roams room by room throughout the night, his powerful performance darkens and his body begins to break down. By the end, you are literally exhausted from watching this transformation.
I found it to be one of the finest performances by any actor. I look forward to Hyun Joong’s future roles. He has proven his true talent.

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Joseon Plot with Modern Day Twists

For me, this was a series in a few sections. The first couple of episodes it was kind of difficult to get into it. I sort of forced myself to stick with it. I'm so glad I did. Give it to episode 5 and the series really becomes great from that point on. The story from there, for reasons we don't want to spoil, goes to a higher level. That's where it became very addictive in watching it.
Sang Min does a great job with his character, making himself very believable as the kind Prince. Together with Ji Hyun, the two create a pretty strong chemistry for both their characters. It makes it quite enjoyable to watch.
Another major plus are the antagonists that emerge early on, extremely devilish and easy to hate. Although, don't be so sure who are really the bad guys and who are good. Certain characters switch sides as you get deeper into the series, making it more interesting as to how things are going to play out. I found a couple people I hated early on becoming likable toward the end.
Getting to the final two episodes, everything is wrapped up in great fashion. Nothing is left undone and you truly feel great about the conclusion.
The one important thing to stress, watch the series until the absolute very end, beyond the credits. The final sixty seconds, after the last credits roll, is absolutely brilliant, putting a cherry on top of this great series!

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Good start ...but lost a good story

This starts out with an innocent story of two long time friends wanting to take it a step further in their relationship. It appears to be a good story in the beginning, and even gets better as a few sub plots and antagonists emerge about a third of the way through the drama. However, just as the series seems to be picking up steam, it stalls with the final couple episodes.
The two protagonists really never create that strong chemistry together. It starts to form, but just never happens in a strong sense.
The last couple episodes appear to bring new life to the story, but even that goes off the tracks. They do resolve most of the issues happening throughout the series, but things really get rushed in the final episode. I think they could have either extended another episode or cut a few slow times from earlier episodes and given the main plot a bit more to develop on screen.

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What's True & What's Not!!

This series was so intriguing. You can't help but get pulled into it within the first few minutes. I think what makes it such a draw, is the fact you're really not sure the direction this drama is taking, but by the end of 1 it becomes obvious ... so you think. From episode to episode things change with such rapid speed, as you get deeper and deeper into the series, more questions keep forming instead of answers.
Min Sik is brilliant in this role. He shows every kind of emotion possible. We watch a man slowly transform from a quiet mundane life, to what becomes craziness and off the wall thinking 24/7. Hyun Wook gives us what we believe to be a kind person looking for a better life than the one he exists in ... and without giving anything away, you do feel that something is not right with his character, Lee Gang.
Through the first five episodes, the only words I could come up with were brilliant and masterpiece ... BUT then the finale happens. It gives such a shocking story change, and personally I don't think it was for the better. I found it to be such a disappointing lackluster finish. I still give the series high marks, because it really was fantastic acting as well as brilliant writing ... but it definitely ruined it for me with the ending.
They use a line in the series that most definitely spells it out "When the line between kindness and cruelty gets blurred, everything becomes a question mark"

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Slow start, but great finish

This series starts out so slow. It's a minimal cast with very little movement in location ... but even so, it begins to evolve into a really good story. If you give it enough time, you will be hooked on a murder mystery BL with many different sub plots.
The cast is a bit difficult in jelling with chemistry, but even they adopt and start to come together by episode 3.
If you're looking for a traditional BL series, you may be disappointed. There are no evil antagonists trying to keep the two "love interest" apart. Normally that's always a big theme in BL's, but not in this one. While there is a sexual tension between the two protagonists, the main story stays distant from physical contact for quite a while. It eventually happens, but it's a while in coming. By episode 5, things change in a big way, and as you conclude that episode, things go off in a completely different direction, giving us a bit of sex, murder and back story on some of these characters. The more history we learn, the more unanswered questions surface.
Seung Beom is definitely great at being the thug, although a kind hearted thug! I did have a problem with Kyung Min. It wasn't his acting, he was good at his role, it was a bit difficult, though, believing him to be a cop. It did work out better toward the final episodes, and the chemistry does flow with him and his sexual partner, dong Jin by the end.
All in all, it is a very entertaining and pretty unique BL. Probably the best of 2026 so far!

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Good Crime Drama, But Had So Much More Potential

This series starts out as a really good premiss, a former child star who took a wrong path for survival. It shows the dark side of drugs and crime in Japan (just like any other place in the world). The main protagonist, Kyonosuke is portrayed really well by Daigo Nishihata. I'm not really familiar with his past work as an actor, but you definitely are on his side as you get deeper into the drama. You can't help but feel for him and his position he got himself into.
I think the one problem I had with giving this a much higher review , was the simple fact that the other main characters in this were so unlikable. The cop and narcotics agent are considered the "good guys", but they were really just as cold hearted as the drug dealers. They treated Diago horribly throughout each episode. It's difficult to really like a series, when most of the main protagonists are very dislikable people.
Overall, it had a continuing good story to follow and the ending was somewhat satisfying. Toru eventually realizes how important Daigo has been. As for Akito, he never redeems himself, making him a very disappointing "good guy" right to the end.

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Relaxing Series To Enjoy!!

It's a very laid back series. No special effects, no major antagonist, no major suspense ... and yet, extremely enjoyable.
If you're familiar with Eiji Akaso from past roles, this is his kind of story. He's truly made for this romantic drama, making himself believable and giving you a truly heartfelt performance.
The story is kind of simple, two people from different countries (Japan/Korea) with different backgrounds fall in love. Everything is going against them to make a lasting relationship seem more difficult, but somehow, with the determination between the two of them, they find a way.
I must admit, I wasn't too fond of the character of Rin early on. She seemed to be immature and lacked any kind of confidence toward herself or her boyfriend, Taiga. I think if I had to find a negative, this was it ...
That being said, Hye Won does a great job with this character, recreating her as the series continues. She becomes more likable and blends much more in the way of chemistry with Eiji.
Along the way, not everything is happy or fun, just like in any relationship. The add on drama that gets mixed in with the immediate families toward both protagonists, make for even a better story.
If you're looking for a satisfying, calm & relaxing series, giving you a unique blend of Japanese & Korean food, customs & language, this is your show.

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Justice is blind, crooked & murderous!!

This series is so much better than you would be lead to believe if you read some of these harsh reviews. I found it to be extremely entertaining with some great story lines throughout. I would say, I did find a little off in the beginning and felt difficult to get hooked right away. Once I got well into episode 2, that's when it became a bit captivating. The rest of the series after that was truly great, well written and definitely well acted.
Ji Sung was simply fantastic. I find he always gives a strong performance no matter what role he's playing, so it's safe to say that he did not disappoint in this one either. He, along with a great supporting cast, really blended well together. Jin A & Hwang Hee were a big part of that as well.
This drama had pretty much everything you could ask for, bad guys turning good, good guys turning bad ... and several great antagonists that you really despised by the last episode. Hee Soon, without a doubt, would be at the top of that list. He shined fantastically as such an evil character, becoming more sadistic with each passing episode.
The only thing I found a bit puzzling was the very end. Not to give anything away, but we seem to have been left hanging with a couple of events, hinting at a season 2??? Really not sure.
All in all, a really enjoyable series that had it all.

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