PRAIZNN

Lacked In Comparison To The First Season

Where Season 1 had me, I didn't feel it in this 2nd season. The action didn't really hit me, and Jian never felt like Jian from how she ended S1.

For the first half of the show, there wasn't any action; it felt more like a buildup, and in comparison to Season 1, those who watched the first season should know what I'm pointing at. The second half of the show gave a lot more action than the first half, but still fell back a lot when you get reminded of the first installment. I went into this show expecting something from that end at Season 1: Jian's significant character growth, Jian being the ladyboss in Season 2. The trailer gave a lot more of her as a Ladyboss than the drama itself; trailers can be really misleading. The writers gave nothing about what she went through and became in S1. Firstly, she just ran from what she promised/her responsibilities into the countryside, where she could likely endanger the people living there with her identity. Her staying in that peaceful environment in the first two eps of the drama ADDED NOTHING TO THE SHOW: NO TWIST, NO DISCOVERY, NO VALUE. Jian of this season felt more like how she was at the start of the first season. The Season 2 focus wasn't on Jian's growth but more on the conflict between Muthehelp and Babylon, and it was saddening to me as the writer never cared about the growth Jian had from the first season.

The writers just killed Bale at the midpoint of the drama. It felt like when he died, he was a side character rather than a tough villain from the first season. I was really disappointed by the time he died, how he died, and the way the scene was directed. Bale was such a compelling villain in season 1, with a menacing screen presence, and he just died like a minor character. The actor really did a great job with his portrayal. They never gave a real face-off/showdown between Bale and Jiman; It was just anticlimactic, given how much potential these two characters had to make the show more engaging. J was an interesting character to me, and I would like to see more of his scenes, BUT the writers gave him an intentional death as a plot device in making Q develop a relentless mind in pursuing Jian and killing Jiman. It was dissatisfying. The fact that Q believed what was told of how her brother died, with what she knew of how dangerous Bale was, was NOT MAKING ANY SENSE.

Pasin definitely did what he had to do to save his son, but he really overdid it. If he chose to help his team, he would have found a way, even with him having the chip in his body. At last, the writers just killed him off (I felt the writers made him kill his team's opponent and him casually dying for redemption), and we weren't told what went on with his son in Jiman's hands. The writers picked what was important and left out some minor things I would have loved to see.

The villains of this season weren't as good as the ones from the former. If I were told to choose which villain had me, it would be K; he never talked much and had one gloomy face, but he gave me a villain feel, at least in comparison to the rest of the named Babylon.
Q didn't feel like a villain/an enemy; she felt like someone who had to do something she doesn't want, and her shooting the gun at the wall instead of her foe in front of Jian says it all. Loved how the misunderstanding between Q and Jiman didn't drag out too long; also loved the interaction they had at the end of the show.

Kusanagi Jin didn't actually get me to feel anything, except at times she feels so comical, like a mentally derailed patient in therapy; she just feels so unserious and weird. She gets me laughing when asking for food when something serious and in need of attention occurs. The actress deserves praise for that performance. I couldn't truly get invested in her character as a villain because she actually did nothing other than bossing others around and talking big. They threw in action into her character at the end, and we see her with the guns killing the red team like flies, going through the leader of the reds and bursting into the door unscathed, pointing guns at Jeong Jiman and Jeong Jian. Everything felt so Hmmmm. She passes the red code leader offscreen. CAN'T THEY JUST GIVE ME THE ACTION LIVE AND STOP DOING OFFSCREEN? She came out unscathed from the red team and their guns, without the writers giving us a hint or a backstory to what she did in the past for her to be this strong; this just feels like A LAZY WAY OF WRITING.

Season 2 really fell short in comparison to the first season, and I shouldn't even be surprised; that is the way most series are.
Jian never made real use of a gun, and that was a problem because she felt like she was in the shell of her Season 1 character who hadn't overcome challenges, even though she had done all of that. But I was satisfied by the forehead shot she bestowed upon Kusangi Jin.

If they ever make a Season 3, please keep it engaging, fast-paced, and juice up Jian's character like it should be done.


Thanks for reading the long Review🩷

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Middle Aged Men On Glasses Are Who They Are; So Don't Mess With Them

INITIAL THOUGHTS

The drama caught my attention right from the first two episodes: the set-up, pacing, and relationships. When clicking the next episode, there was something I would love to see.

The drama would have wrapped up in 8 episodes, or so; the last two/three episodes were unnecessary.

LIKES

Loved the emotional and sensitive growth Kim Min Ji had in her relationship with her dad (Manager Kim). I viewed the relationship she had with her father in the first episode as really rough, as she and her dad never communicated properly; she was insensitive to how her father loved her, and she never really spared a moment in just having an interaction with her dad. It was really sad to me, for how it affected her father emotionally, but she was insensitive to all of that. She found out what her dad meant to her when she was half-dead, kidnapped, escaped, and caught. When her father saved her and they went to their house, the special agents were waiting outside for her father. Just them in that living room, lacking words to speak; the emotions they had within themselves spoke out from the walls. It was touching, heartfelt, and heartbreaking.

The trio as a team was one of the funniest, most serious, emotional, and grounded moments in the drama. They were just the imperfect, lovable team, with a well-blended chemistry between each one of the three. Their dynamics add humor that doesn't feel misplaced, but comes effortlessly. That moment when they were shown to us as they met as three ordinary men in glasses drinking cups of alcohol was just unforgettable. When I watched how the show ended, I just had to replay the whole scene. They brought many emotions while I was watching this drama, and I had a hard time moving forward.

I loved how they were there for each other; even when it was hard, they always made a silly excuse to save their friend, Manager Kim. These kind of thick-and-thin friends don't always come, and I was glad to watch their story

Each actor nailed their roles, the team(good guys), the enemies (secret agent), and down to the villain. So Ji Sub gives a very good emotive performance of a man yearning for the sight of his daughter; I was also impressed by the child actor's performance and the villains that made my blood boil so many times.


DISLIKES

The last three episodes were forced down the throat and weren't needed; the North Korean delegation coming to South Korea and the writers unrealistically granting Ju Gang Chan power to control both the South and the North for his comeback against manager Kim just felt forced, and I was not sold at all. The drama should have wrapped up everything in episode 8, both in the emotional aspect with his daughter and different characters' closure and their endings.

It felt superstitious and fantastical regarding Kim Min Ji waking up from her coma half-dead, and there was no medical treatment given to her, no side effects- she was just fine


FINAL THOUGHT

I can't help but feel certain characters, like the North Korea man sent to kill Manager Kim, and also the man Ju Gang Chan broke his teeth and it got replaced with golden teeth; I believe they could be utilised within the chaos, not bringing them in when the chaos ended.


Things wrapped up neatly with a good closure between characters; the closure between Manager Kim and the North Korea agent was refreshing, even the closure between Kim Min Ji and her Crush was just sweet. The last team trio moments were hilarious, both eating at the sushi place without their glasses and picking just one pair of glasses after testing more than 20. They were hilarious, funny, and unserious. The smiles between the special agents (Kang Guk Cheol ) and Manager Kim at the end never felt like acting; it felt like they just became at ease and laughed on set, and also Kang Guk Cheol giving a gift to Min Ji, while putting on a casual face, was touching I would say.

They are just middle-aged men in glasses, when you don't mess with them.

Rating 8.0

Thanks for reading

Goodbye

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Press Play; The Fun

I think you should go tap the play button and check this out, if you are looking for something entertaining, fun, hilarious and sometimes emotional, something that doesn't go with a rom-com genre or anƴ usual genre. This just feel innovative, I don't remember watching this kind of plot before and that was what made everything more interesting .

I didn't think I would stick through with this while I started and here I am savouring the ending I never really wanted this to come to an end this early. Will miss this a lot, almost every moment was hilarious and fun, but some moments just hits emotional. Can't count the number of times I laughed aloud, had smiles and made empathy with few characters.

First of all, I loved the unique plot: about housing. A man who wants to embezzle 17.8 billion won to save his boss (who was like a father to him) from prison. I don't remember watching a similar Korean genre and that made it hit differently. Finally not a rom-com, supernatural or action, Just something lighthearted, emotional as and thrilling.

I think I love this show a lot more than expected, the fake family that turned it a strong bond that surpasses that of a real family. The way Hae Gang and Tae Man expressed their father and son love, when Tae Man was just someone who helped Hae Gang when he was much younger and raised him into he is today, just feels genuine even with the less backstories given. The chemistry between the leads, that doesn't need to be shouted aloud, from their gaze, care and talks, Love it all.

The show had an interesting villains, that actually suprised me a lot, I thing it's the actor behind the face that perfected the villain. The actor did an amazing job with the portrayal of a villain, that laugh, shout, cry, mockingly pity and all other emotions, was a great depiction, the villain had this perfect portrayal of comedic, yet menacing looks that actually clicks right each time.
Talking about the chemistry he had with he had with the ML Hae Gang, when he just behaved so unserious, the interaction and dialogue they had when Hae Gang found out Lee Chung Won embezzled the money was fun and interesting, them sipping drink from the straw staring at each other was PEAK.

They were characters I became invested in unknowingly, I never expected that I would love Suk Jin, at first I thought of her as a troublemaker and fault finder, but I think it stems from her righteous zeal to help the residents and I warmed up to her without knowing.

I enjoyed the Kang sisters relationship, whatever things that caused conflicts between them was for the other protection. and It was endearing watching them trying to protect each other.

I love, loved the ending I was busy eating everything up Lee Chung Won being arrested and Hae Gang and his team openly exposing his crime, seeing him in that state of true anger was the first time I saw that real pain form the character, and the actor portrayed it so well. I would have loved to see the more story between Ha Jeong and her other pair. Seeing the come together after three years was for the old times and had two new member, even them meeting with the residents again was heartwarming. They must have being thrilled meeting the President LOL Hahaha. Would have loved the story to delve more into things esp at the ending episodes but with the limited twelve episodes the story did a good job.

Overall, I think you should go watch this if you have nothing to watch and you just want something fun entertaining and new. I haven't watched Ji Sung in a show before and I have heard of his wonderful performances, seeing it firsthand is always better, the other cast also did a great job and to our villain an applaud and award.

I think I found this story more engaging than I expected making me stick around till the end which I haven't mostly done 2026, so It's a big win. I enjoyed this family and residents a lot.

Rating 8.5

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Great casts, is the life of the show.

A office rom-com that is thrilling, interesting, and fun due to the great casting, incredible performances, with lovely camedarie, good humour and engaging office investigations. While the plot isn't compelling and incredible the casting performance were the life of the show

While I love all the casting, the main couple casting, was impeccable, with sweet romances, cozy hugs, chaotic energy investigations which were my gripping effects each week and my highest motive to binge this every week.
Loved the ride.
I need Shin Hye Sun and Gong Myoung casted in a great script

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Incoherent Writing; Spookiness Got Lost Halfway Through

The part I loved most was the leads being together with some kind of awkwardness that feels realistic in a way.
I think the problem I had with this drama was that it was never shown clearly why/how they fell in love. They met a few times and likely helped each other in the few times they met. Then the writers decided to add something to show they have some feelings for the other......Jealousy, them seeing the other with their opposite gender, and acting all weird and jealous. The writers forcibly tried to convey to the viewers that they already have feelings, and I wasn't even into that. The question is: if they weren't the Male lead and the Female lead of the story, would they have gotten feelings in that short amount of time, and why couldn't they fall in love with the another opposite gender they have had a lot with........why must the ML lead/FL lead catch feelings for the other if they haven't done anything special/ something that attracts them together.
I believe leads should have at least ins and outs, ups and downs, quarrels, bickering, something special to make the story a lot more believable.

In the first half of Spooky in Love, the spookiness wasn't even spooky; the second half of the show completely forgot it was even supposed to be spooky in the first place and went for "the" love. I thought of this as a missed opportunity and bad writing; with the mystery and ghosts and how they solve the cases for those wandering spirits, the leads could have formed feelings that are actually conceivable and, in a way, could make the show engaging.

MANY CHARACTERS WERE ONE-DIMENSIONAL

Let's start with Ma Gong Uk. This character was centered around his love for Yeo Ri, and it felt like he had no other thing going on in his life; he even ignored the advice of his grandma and fell in love with a woman he met a few times. The writers said he was a prosecutor, but I didn't even get how we could say he was a prosecutor when all he did was sit in his office all day long and think about the woman he loves and keep thinking about whether he will call her or not; he felt like an office worker. Then the show suddenly remembers, "we said he was a prosecutor, didn't we? Let's try to throw the viewers something like, Him organizing and evaluating some file", but all that doesn't look like what a prosecutor ought to (only) be doing.
No Lies, at times I got really happy when the leads' near kisses got interrupted, and I am saying MAN GET SOMETHING DONE AND STOP HOVERING AROUND THE WOMAN.


Cheon Hari's screen time, or whenever she was shown, was all about how to bring down Yeo Ri, and it gave me an annoying feeling, like she had no prospects except her thinking her problem was just how to take her down and own a business she never contributed to........SO ONE-DIMENSIONAL
Her mom was way better than her; she schemes, hides under a facade, puts on a cool face, wears false smiles, which really made her a better-written character in comparison to her daughter, and I loved her ending.

Kang Min Hwan is the kind of character who doesn't dare to show/confess to the woman he likes all his life, and when she is into someone, he gets angry and jealous. The way I wasn't even surprised he killed his brother and committed another murder was real; his end was well deserved.


I really loved the grandmas; they really loved their grandchildren, and Ioved as Yeo Ri's grandma never tried to subject her to another man when she brought Ma Gong Uk; she just accepted him, even if she was unsettled. I guessed she truly accepted him for who he was.

The ending was predictable; when things were going on, I was like "Next, Next". The show definitely spends its time on unnecessary things, like their time in Singapore. I still loved some parts in the end, like the spirits she brought to the afterlife, and them giving their all to save her. It was touching and heartwarming; she reaped what she sowed, and even her little interaction with Ji Hwan was somehow bittersweet.

I wouldn't recommend this drama to anyone; you could preferably go rewatch older K-dramas.
I thought the ML had better chemistry with his prosecutor partner than with the FL.

Rating 5.5

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Well Written With Great Acting Performance

COMMENTARY

This drama immediately caught my interest from episode one, and I stayed with the drama until the finale. Some may find the beginning quite slow, but that is the buildup, and if you by any means drop it for this reason, I think you should by all means go back to it again till episodes 5 or so.

This writer deserves an award, or something sort of; I loved the skillful blend of romance, political schemes, household schemes, family drama, and even angst. The pacing and how the plot goes with the villains, side characters, and main characters are all entertaining.

Review in Detail (SPOILER AHEAD)


I just love how the plot starts, the whole process it went through, and even the end; I found it unique. I haven't watched many C dramas, but with the little I have watched, I haven't found a plot quite similar to this. Watching this commoner and a woman fallen from grace become an official was something new and refreshing.

Fu Ting Yun's journey from a woman fallen from grace to a woman well praised, known, and sought after was at times painful, angsty, and dreadful, but it was filled with love and support. Watching her being poisoned (to death) by her Grandma was painful and unbearable; it shows how little value she had to the Fu household and also how most wealthy and officials treat their families when they reach a tough path that involves sacrifice, and most times sacrifice their kins while claiming it was for the greater good, and we saw it more than once—loved how she stepped away from the the thinking of a wealthy daughter into a commoner who fetches water, washes clothes, dries grains, and a lot more. She had perseverance and devotion in waiting for Zhao Ling for five years; she knew when to listen to her husband and when not to. She was a woman of her own making, and she didn't need to rely on her family to rise to power. She was also a source of light to many women. I always love the story of a strong woman.

The process by which Zhao Ling went from a salt smuggler was stressful, painful, and needed every bit of hard work and perseverance, and Fu Ting Yun was his strong hope and light and passing through this path. When he became an official, his character became different from when he was a commoner, and overtime him, being an official weighed down his mind to the brink, where he had constant headaches, as shown by him constantly touching his head, leaving his beard unshaven, and even feeling disconnected from his family, friends, and lover. All this stems from his unwillingness to explain some details, share his burden, and remove some weight from his shoulders, and sure, his excuse was to protect her, but I couldn't quite agree with him. Fu Ting Yu is a strong woman who doesn't need your protection, but needs to stand beside you to fight against the foe. At some point in his journey, I asked myself why he pushed himself in this way and whether it was worth it. I find all this realistic in the right sense.

I really love this couple they have being through so much and they deserve a happy ending, Love the unwavering love and support for each other, they have been through so much hard times and peril, their happiness feel deserves, they made me smile, swoon, angsty and teary, but I'm happy they ended living a peaceful life away from politics, giving birth to a girl and raising her in peace.
From Ganlin to the capital hasn't been easy for them both, and I believe it was the trust, support, love, and care they had that brought them through.
The actors had really good chemistry on-screen; the tension was all there, and the tearjerker scene had the most tension.

Yu Jing Xu was a spineless man, that could have left his father wings, he just had to keep depending on his father and gaslighting himself that his father will bring him back to the office, I couldn't even feel pity for him while he was being used, deceived and manipulated by his father and his mother, I would have cut off from them early rather than staying in a home where I'm one of the castaway piece.
Yake's realization and letting go at the end made it my first time seeing her in a good light, and I loved as it wasn't long before she left the man-eating house. Sadly, she didn't leave with her son, but I guess she wants to live for herself, selfishly, leaving her son under the care of that man-eating house.
The sisterhood between Yake and Fu Ting Yu was broken because of greed, jealousy, and lack of communication. I felt that Yake thinks in a one dimensional manner, that is, rising to become a woman of the society, blending to the group of officials wives, with her husband being her source, their is nothing really wrong with that thought, but she is a backstabber and one that is greedy, she please in your front, only to go behind and stab you, that clearly showed the line of how selfish she actually is. Whereas Fu Ting Yu is someone who wants to rise to a woman where no one can decide her fate, she comes to people with sincerity; even if she schemes, it's not against her own. That is the difference between these two sisters and why they drifted apart.

The relationship between Yake and Yu Jingxiu was really unhealthy, but at least it wasn't toxic. I felt he married her out of desire/he thought she had gentle, womanly features e.g taking good care of books, while she married him because she wanted to lift her status. There wasn't any mutual support/assistance, or talking about real feelings. If they had a mutually supportive relationship like Yu Jing Xu's parents, they wouldn't have had this unhealthy relationship, but they would have been so down.

I thought the villains were really interesting; I never really expected the Yu family to actually take on the role of the villain to the end. They were cutthroat, scheming, and resolute; they do not care what means they take to achieve their goals. It was interesting seeing how they and the main characters were perfectly matched. And I loved how Fu Ting Yu and the Yu woman had their last conversation.

The show realistically portrayed how a human heart can be harsh at times. Yu Jing Xu's father always wanted his son to take the blame for him, which was really bad, and he then gave empty promises to please his son. I really liked how the son refused to be the scapegoat at the last part of the show.
I love how the show makes some characters make a difficult choice; Like when the emperor told Zhao Ling to put the blame on his wife and escape all accusations, while he enjoys power and wealth. That would be a very tempting choice for major characters in this drama, but not for Zhao Ling. I knew the choice he would make. It was predictable, and yet that was my first teardrop in this drama. I believe it was the way it was portrayed: he said everything like he was going to poison, THE ANGST, then he took the cup, held her by her jaw, and said I did not take you out of Biyun Nunnery to bring you into another Biyun Nunnery and then he drank the cup and took all the blame. THE ANGST, THE CHEMISTRY, THE TENSION WAS REALLY GOOD.

The villain's accidental death was just sooo unsatisfying and undeserved. He should have gotten a lot more punishment than that sweet death. Yu Jingxiu's mother's ending was good, like she doesn't have to die. It was good seeing her live as a commoner; her losing her senses was better. I'm sure she would have committed suicide if she were sane.
I didn't even care/connect with A Sen when he was getting married; I felt his part was rushed and underdeveloped, and him avoiding Zhao Ling, his brother, after not seeing him for five years DIDN'T MAKE ANY SENSE.

FINAL THOUGHT


I loved the ending, and seeing the closure shown in some characters was a delight; seeing Yake teaching at Gan Lin showed she's turned over a new leaf, and watching Wu Youde managing the business means she achieved her dreams of being free, not under the restraint of a man,
Loved, as Zhao Ling stepped away from the court; The court is a very awful and dreadful place to be, where your friends today will point swords against you tomorrow. Loved, as they showed that Zhao Ling and Fu Ting Yun had a child and they are living peacefully.
This drama brought me different emotions and feelings, and I enjoyed them all, and I think this has to do with the actors' performance. They all did great; I applaud the main characters and villains of this show, and even the side characters held their own and displayed their range.

This is a drama I would definitely recommend to someone who loves historical C-dramas, as I do slow-burn, family drama, court politics, schemes, angst, wits, friendship, trust, jealousy, betrayal, and a lot more; the drama has all these in the right amounts.

Rating 9.0

Thanks for reading this Long Review.
If you managed to stick around till now🩷.

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Supernatural with the mix of other genres at its best.

The narrative of the plot doesn't attend only to the supernatural; it draws on other genres to create a mix of something clearly binge-worthy.

When family relationships, friendship, teammates, and comedy blend with something supernatural in a natural and likeable way.
Each of their relationship was impactful and touching.
Eunie and her grandma's relationship was a gem.
Mr Seo and his daughter's relationship was gold.
Mr Seo and his wife's relationship was silver.

The villains were an interesting one, they had bonds, sorta of familiar relationships, and love for each other, and I just gave that to the secondary villains, to the primary villains, they made my blood boil, their calm and all-assuring performance was well done, I give them for that.

A drama where the sources tell you mostly supernatural, but the in-depth tackles something more than supernatural snd villain arcs, it tells there is even a quiet family bond, that can create a villain

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I haven't watched/completed Season 1, so I tried to bridge the gap in why the makers would go for a second installment, and throughout the 12 episodes, I didn't find any reason. It felt like the season was created for more crime-solving, investigations, Isoo's charms, and a change in character and actor for the FL role.
If you're thinking whether you should watch Season 2 because you haven't seen the first Season, by all means you can do so; this season felt more like a Sequel, except a little of Jin Isoo's past was shown, but it doesn't distract you from your watching experience.

I felt cases one and two weren't as interesting as the other cases. I always feel there is a thrill in following the characters as they rule out suspects, find evidence, and catch the culprit, without you as the viewer knowing the killer/culprit before the investigators. You make your own deductions, theory, to guess the culprit from the way they behave, act, speak, and also look. Sometimes it can be deceiving, but I deduced the killer in the fourth case (only), and how he committed the murder.

I really hate the villains, as much as you can't deny the actors nailed the role. Yoo Seong Woo wasn't just a killer; he was legit a psychopath. Him killing humans to make art out of them says so much. It was INSANE watching him smile while killing; he literally glorified himself as helping them escape their life of misfortune and suffering. Yoo Seung Woo's mother is one of the major culprits for his killing character today; she never tried to correct him and teach him herself when he was much younger. Instead, she dumped him at a psychiatrist, and it just got worse. When she sent out a man to kill her son to escape blame and to claim a poor mother, that said so much about where he got his psychopathic habits.

Ahn Bo Hyun brought his charms from Season 1 into Jin Isoo, and he became more mature than in the first season. Though I didn't see much teamwork between them, I enjoyed the investigations and the mystery. At the beginning, I felt the cases made Jin Isoo neglect Mr Choi, but I'm glad he became more observant and caring towards the end.

Sorry, but it was really strange how Jin Isoo happens to call Mr Choi for a helicopter or a car, and Mr Choi always rides in it at that moment of urgency.

Anyway, that's it. Thanks for reading

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FUN! FUN!! FUN!!!

I laughed really hard while watching this. I kept food, snacks, and water out of my mouth while watching this to prevent choking. The characters were unserious and highly comedic; the villain had something comedic in their mannerisms, in the way they were presented, fought, and at times died. I couldn't control my laughter and smiles for at least the first half.

The cast was amazing; it felt like each of their roles was best suited for them. Ao Rui Peng portraying Li Changshou was natural and amazing, and it felt like himself. A character made for him, where he doesn't need to be stressed with his posture or mannerisms.
Likewise, in my opinion, Ai Mi's portrayal of Li Chang Shou's junior sister was the funniest character in this show, and I loved how she matched her senior brother and understood the meaning of his eye signs. The character Ao Jia was hilarious, funny, and interesting to me when he had big dreams of saving the dragon clan, beating himself in a fight against Li Chang Shou, and portraying the girl character Ke Le'r; in my opinion, if I were not a viewer/audience and I was just part of the characters, I would have also thought that was a girl.

It was hilarious seeing modern devices innovatively transform into something similar with the same functions in an historical drama. The mobile phones, image recorder, and washing machine- seeing Li Chang Shou make use of them felt new and refreshing.

With all that said, the second half, around episode 20, declined in the funny aspect compared to the first half. With all the tragedy, wars, crying, and fights going on, don't get me wrong, there were occasional funny moments in the second half, but I didn't laugh as much, as the story lost its focus on being funny and became more serious. But still, the chemistry of the senior-junior relationship between Li Chang Shou and junior sister was great, Loved after 3 years staying in jade division, she learnt her senior brother and understood all his micro-expressions and helped him in so many over-dramatic scenes, adding their master to the chaos made Jade division more fun than the other divisions, they were so hilarious, unserious, and loved each other.

I thought this drama was over-dramatic, but that's the charm; it doesn't have to be serious or less dramatic. The plot was silly and predictable, as the ML always has 98-99% assurance before executing his plans. The unpredictable part is that we do not know his plans; they come as a surprise to the audience.

It's not every year we get this kind of drama, so it was refreshing watching this plot. I would recommend this if you are looking for an easy watch, where you have to sit back, relax, and enjoy the play.

Do Not Eat while watching this to prevent choking.

Have a great time watching

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FRUSTRATING AND GASLIGHTED AS A REALISTIC PORTRAYAL.

*THESE ARE JUST MY THOUGHTS; WE DON'T HAVE TO AGREE*

The plot wasn't appealing to me, particularly how their relationship started and what went on in their relationship. It was a struggle watching this from episode 1, and it became more of a struggle reaching episode 12; toward the end, it became frustrating. At some point in the drama, I literally forced myself to finish this. Quite bad, this being my first Chinese modern series of the year.

LIKES
Shang Zhi Tao's friends were the kind of people you find it privileged to have as friends. They were supportive, encouraging, and really helpful. They weren't jealous of one another; instead, they rejoiced at the success of the other. Loved the moments they went on the mountain trip together, glaring at the sun rising. I also love how some of Flora's friends are written to have struggles and problems outside of her (FL) character. Towards the second half, the plot sidelined and forgot their friendship and didn't bother to delve deeper into the challenges and problems they had, while focusing much on the leads and their miscommunication.

Their chemistry had me in the first half; there was tension and magnetic stares, and sometimes I actually felt I was distracting from their moments. While moving into the second half, the chemistry lost me; with the back-and-forth breakups and kisses, all that was left was miscommunication, kisses, and intimacy scenes. I thought they had chemistry in the last episode.

DISLIKES

Let's be real, Zang Yao's character arc was predictable and unnecessary, as she was a plot device to create a rift and misunderstanding between the leads, and when she realized that they really loved each other and couldn't stand them acting all sweet with each other, and went outside to cry, I SKIPPED THAT SCENE. THERE WAS NO EMOTIONAL INVESTMENT TO KEEP ME WATCHING. At least they gave her good closure, in which am sure she escaped from a good disaster by not dating Luan Nian. If she had a purpose in coming down to China outside her love for Luke and all, she would have been better written.

I couldn't believe Sun Yuan died, LIKE HE DIED. I almost forgot I was watching a modern romance drama, and thought this was some murder mystery series. The fact that he died is really strange; he clearly had an emotional breakdown of tears, bare himself in front of Shang Zhi Tao, and he had friends who could actually heal him and console him. They were his greatest strength, and the plot forgot that and granted him death. It didn't even delve into what challenges he was going through; IT'S LAME. I actually suspected Sun Yuan liked Flora, but I would have loved to see things work out between him and Sun Yu; they had the chemistry, supported each other, were best friends, but he only took her as a friend. It was disappointing to know he liked Flora, and he kept it a secret until death. But I felt that was his way of expressing his love; it was good and way better than Luke's style.

I couldn't take how the plot used silly misunderstandings that could be cleared in one statement, an apology, or by speaking your heart, to drive the plot forward, and it left out important details. I was really curious about a lot of things, which the plot either didn't get to develop well or did the telling instead of showing. E.g Would have loved to see Sun Yuan's complicated family background, how Lumi got Will to be her boyfriend, and them developing feelings to become lovers; that would have been really interesting. What happened to Shang Zhi Tao's worker and Xing after she had a company? Why did Shang Zhi Tao break up with her ex-boyfriend, who treated her like an angel? The fact is, the writers left far too many things hanging while trying to live vicariously through the misunderstandings of the leads.

I disliked how silly they often had a quarrel, only for them to fawn over it and get back together, as if nothing happened. I believe they should have sat down and talked things through like normal adults, not getting back together like kids do when they quarrel.

I really dislike Luke; he was arrogant, insulting, had an ego, and it was clear that he didn't deserve Flora's love.
In the initial episode, when he and Flora slept together, and the next time they met, he threw insulting words, like she made them sleep together because she wanted him. THAT WAS ALREADY A BIG NO FOR ME, and the fact that he couldn't even apologize proved he wasn't ready for a relationship.
I really hate it when this man tries to be controlling, telling her what dress she shouldn't wear, trying to keep her from her heartwarming friends, and trying to restrict her movement. LIKE, SIR, SHE ISN'T EVEN YOUR WIFE; WHAT BECOMES OF HER WHEN SHE IS YOUR WIFE?
It irritated me when Luke pretended to be in pain just so he could get Shang Zhi Tao care; they tried to mask it as humor, but it tasted dry.
It was really WILD&INSANE watching him become a jealous freak who refuses to understand or see more into things, when Flora gives her ex-boyfriend a goodbye hug and hugs her friend to comfort his pain. The fact is, he hugs his close friend, who is a girl, and he goes straight to her, and Flora can understand him, but when it turns the other way, he keeps his distance without explaining the cause.
Couldn't believe that after six years of dating, Flora tells him she wants them to get married sooner, and he just rejects it(without a reason). Flora must have been terribly heartbroken, and after a three-month time skip, he comes hooking Flora up with his mother and tells Flora he wants marriage. Everything that happened was me telling Flora she shouldn't accept his request, for she has fallen into a mess. This man has an ego that everything must be done on his own time; I REALLY HATE THAT.

I was annoyed with Flora because she always leaves the relationship only to come back; she should be REAL with herself, knowing this relationship can't work out, and back off early, rather than dwelling on heartbreak.

Their relationship wasn't built on love, so what can you expect? It was built on desire, KISSES and s*x, and all this isn't enough to have the right lover.

I actually love when Flora vented all the pain she had inside her in front of Luke, and her calling the relationship dirty and disgusting and putting an end to the relationship they had was so satisfying, but she should have done it sooner and forged ahead with her life. The writers tried making Luke so down, sad, and teary to have sympathy and empathy for him; it was distasteful. If it worked for anyone, IT DIDN'T WORK FOR ME. Could they have just spared me the noble idiocy Luke tried to portray?

By the end, it is already predictable, and as you can expect, the leads meet again, grow a bit of connection, have s*x, return to Bei Jing, and Luke proposes to Flora, and she accepts it. I didn't feel anything when he proposed; if anything, Flora shouldn't have accepted. They would surely have misunderstandings if allowed to continue, at least offscreen. Lmaooo.

The ending was really rushed and not properly developed, with the characters, plot, and storyline, but I didn't actually enjoy the drama as a whole.

The amount of insulting words Luan Nian always threw at Shang Zhi Tao when they had a misunderstanding was really unhealthy and not called for. I would have ended that relationship early and never sought to go further.



FINAL THOUGHTS
By the end, I understood that Luan Nian was a character who can love, but clearly can't express his love, can't understand the woman he loves, and doesn't trust the woman he loves, and coupled with his arrogance, ego, and insulting way of speaking, it was clear this man shouldn't be in a relationship sooner; he should go for love therapy or something of the sort; in all, they should teach him how to express his love and understand the woman he loves before he thinks of going into a relationship.

It was clear Flora tried to understand Luke in every way, while Luke would never try to understand her in any way. It was obvious that such a relationship should be cut off early. That was the message I got from this drama.

Shang Zhi Tao/Flora should have gone back to her ex-boyfriend or any other good guy, but not Luke, because it's clear their relationship won't last.

Lastly, if this were a realistic portrayal, the leads shouldn't have ended up together; the woman would have left early when in a relationship with such a man, and if it is actually fictional, it's frustrating. Putting yourself in the character of this girl, would you stay in this relationship?

I wouldn't rewatch this drama at all; the pain and frustrations I felt in my first watch were enough. If the leads actually came together, reasoned, and resolved their misunderstandings with good communication, there would have been much less misunderstanding, but the plot took an unhealthy turn. This shows chemistry and intimate kisses really can't save/
help a show if the plot is a MESS.

You should go check it out if you can cope with unhealthy communications and silly misunderstandings, but by no means am I recommending THIS.

Thanks for reading the long review.

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Dedication of love: Love bonded in sacrifices.

When the main criteria is love.
Love devotion, was the main theme of this spectacular series. It tells you love don't bloom from nothingness or constant glances, It builds on actual substance before it blooms to those valley of flowers.

The main characters tale of love differ from their own building, but each of them were interesting had their serious likes and some dislikes, not all have to like the love between a particular character, because love is what causes you to defy the world.

Many seem no to like their stay in the void, but not for me, their stay in the void was about the building of their love, not really about the demonstration of their fight scenes, when they had their stay in the void, their love was constantly building on hopelessness despair, raising a child, old age, flirtness and more.
The void depicts the main origin of the story where the story gives us a highlight of what happened in the past and is affecting lives in reality, the void was the building essence of the story.

The OST was fantastic, it wasn't underwhelm scenes, it's uplifts all those romantic, fight, emotional scenes.
The fight scenes was an excellent masterpiece of all ages it was raw, well defined, and real

All the characters of the show played a significance, their wasn't one playing an insignificant role.
The guest stars was stunning, Chang Hau Sen as Han Ba was interesting an fun. We also hot Gong Zi Shang form My Journey to you and she literally brought her character of MJTY, to the show.
We also saw Xia Shi Guang as a powerful fox and his portrayal as that love driven character was touching and heartbreaking, but he played it in an amusing stance.

The villain of the story was well written but has flaws, bother he villain and the dragons.
How did the villain and the dragons exist in the thrive by and small mortal world, no reason on why the villain wants the mortal world destroyed, we had an overpowered villain which is interesting but it felt really undying and sophisticated, when the villain falls the scripts actually comes up with something that brings him back to being alive, It was great, cuz our main character has to be that exhausted fighting a villain.

Overall the drama was a well written love story, where love literally occurs with our main characters, side characters and guest roles, and the execution was nothing void of phenomenal. The beautiful fight scenes, OST, romance, supernatural elements, where converging to a common points and it was killing a typical undying villain.

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I think this is a rom-com with chaos as its mix

I enjoyed this to a certain point, let me take you through what the plot following a prosecutor who almost loses her life in the hand of a powerful gangster she has been investigating, at the end of her life she is saved by man, unknowing to her he was a boy she saw when she was much younger in her school days life and also met him in the latter part of her life, when she had grown older. He also had another identity as the second in command in the gangster group that almost took her life.
He gets her into hiding in the countryside as he retires from being a gangster as his reward for completing his last task (ending the girl's life). I believe this is where we follow them through the story as she finds her lost memories, gets a boyfriend, makes true friends, gets jealous, and gets protected.

Going into what I love about this story.

I really loved the relationships that were formed between Eun Sae and the characters in the countryside. At first Eun Sae was at odds with many people in the village: Tae Ha's grandma, the shaman (Cho Maeng Suk), Kim Pil Seung's mother(Paeng Hui Ja), and many others, but over time, amidst the conflicts and the quarrels, strong relationships grew, and true friendships were found. There was something heartfelt in how these people who found nothing but quarrels with Eun Sae were willing to root for her. The relationship between Tae Ha and his grandma was touching; everything he did and did not do was for his grandma. Likewise, his interactions with others in the community, they loved him and were willing to understand. Even the moment he went back into being a gangster while being forced, they just hugged him and comforted him; that was the peak of the true relationship.

At the end, when the community gathered to beat the Bad Guys, that clearly shows what their bonds were like. The fights were so hilarious.

I find people dislike the actress's acting and her character; I am not one of them. I felt the actress really put effort into her character and portraying it convincingly am really not sure of an actress that could fit the role better than her. Her character (Eun Sae), even while she woke up in a hospital bed at the start of the drama and behaved like that, wanting a handsome man as her boyfriend, I believe that was what she wanted, as in he life as a prosecutor or even before she became a prosecutor. Eun Sae lost her memories, but she carried the characteristics from her inner self, which she never really revealed.

Tae Ha was one of the greenest ML if you ask me, he loved one girl his life, he protected her at the risk of getting caught and killed, he became her boyfriend for her own safety and tried not to past the boundary, even while she fell in love with him later in the story he waited for her to recover he memory for her to make the choice she won't regret later on.
Tae Ha has been through so much since young, but it all stems from the undying love he has for his grandma and the unwillingness to let her die. I found his love for his grandma so heartfelt. She was his Achilles heel, but he doesn't care.

WHAT I FOUND NOT GOOD.

THE SCRIPT WAS LACKING IN DIFFERENT WAYS.

The second couple wasn't fleshed out at all. Why did Su Ji push Gi Jun away? I did not get any of that: no flashbacks or backstories, then at the end Gi Jun had a realization of what the girl meant to him, and Su Ji accepted him, and they planned marriage. IT HAD NO REAL IMPACT ON ME AS THE VIEWER.

I would have loved to see Jung Sun Won and Hyang Seon dating or building feelings for each other; something was already happening before the show ended, I felt it would be more interesting.

Tae Ha's behavior as a 14-year-old trained gangster puts me off at certain times

Final Thoughts.

I think this is the kind of drama I would watch for the fun and for some hilarious moments between people in the villages and how they form a bond from everyday quarrels to genuine care.

The script made its character overly exaggerate at some moments and it should have ended sooner than the 12 episodes given. Baek Saengil reveal of being Tea Ha Father was out of place and seem to came into the story for Baek Saengil to kill himself, as the Tae Ha never knew at the end of the show. I guess it would have given him more peace at mind not knowing his father.

Done and Dusted 7.5

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SO UNDERRATED

I enjoyed this drama a lot. I feel I could binge all the episodes, but watching it weekly was also better. I found the Bo Na family endearing; her teammates were good; the supporting cast added depth to the drama; and the ending was okay.

I adore Bo Na family; it was clear that they really love each other and were ready to support one another. I liked the backstories and flashbacks, but I especially loved the leads' backstories and how they developed feelings for each other. It was clear that Kwon Tae Song fell for Bo Na at first sight, but I appreciated that he didn't pester her or act all cool in front of her; their love and relationship grew through the support and care they gave each other while they lived alone. Loved how everything was built up to the time when he confessed his love to her. It felt mature and genuine, and the response of Bo Na was likewise mature: "I have never fallen in love, so please treat me well". This was my first time hearing such an answer to a proposal, and I ate it up. They were soooo GOOD, and they served hard.
I felt they were a real couple, not acting, and they had a very natural chemistry with each other. I understand the pain Kwon Tae Song felt when he found out his wife was Kingfisher, but it was really sad watching him ignore her calls, refusing to come to the house/call her, and preventing her from caring for him. The moment when Bo Na told Kwon Tae Song, while he was asleep, that she never liked strawberries, but because she ate them with him, she liked them (a lot). It was really emotional, and I liked how his genuine love for his wife overcame his doubts and concerns, and he gave her a really warm hug.
I have mixed emotions about Bo Na going missing when she found out that Kwon Tae Song knew she was KingFisher. Kwon Tae Song already accepted her identity as KingFisher, so what was the need for her leaving her husband and child? But I felt that she needed a breaking point and time to cool her head, but she never really saw it from her daughter's point of view- how she would feel when she can't see her Mother. I liked the parallel they gave, as her husband found her in the spot where he confessed to her and the way they mended their relationship.
The scene in which Bo Na's daughter goes to the rooftop to call down the helicopter, just so she could go and bring her mother's parents, who are already dead, was emotional and went straight to calling for my heart; the child actor really conveyed a certain amount of tears in me. But the scene was so unrealistic, and I mean everything about it. How did she know to climb up? How could she climb up that fast and not get tired, and why was the door locked?
I was really annoyed with how Bo Na's mother-in-law was unnecessarily harsh with her and always picking on her, trying to find faults, when Bo Na was being as good as she could be. But I'm really glad she came to like Bo Na and supported her when she went missing/went to cool her head.

Never liked Kwon Se A's character when I first saw her; I felt she was too active and energetic, but I guess that's her charm, and when the plot got into her love life, she became interesting to me. While I have a weak spot for Ki Yeong Do, she clearly had better chemistry with Beom Seong Hun, and, to mention, they knew each other from childhood. I'm glad Ki Yeong Do realized early that trying to love her wasn't going to work out, as she had already fallen for her police friend, Seong Hun, and him wishing her luck and ending the relationship amicably was a good closure.

I predicted that Hyeon Nam and Tae Min would end up liking each other, even if the plot didn't show it. It gave us hints; after all, they have an unspoken chemistry. I would have loved to see them in their dating era.

I was actually annoyed with how the investigators went after King Fisher, as if they had no other case going on, but you could entirely see they were doing their work, and I think I was annoyed with them because they were going to catch my BIAS.

I loved that Lee Dong Jin didn't try to seek more after the King Fisher case was closed, as that could break his friendship with Kwon Tae Seong, with the hints he keeps getting. He really values his friendship with Kwon Tae Seong; their friendship was really heartwarming.

I felt the ending was rushed, and the things that occurred were unexpected to me. I really thought they would catch Bo Na as King Fisher, and wondered how the ending would be with her going to prison, but thank God it didn't take that route. I still can't believe Seul Gi, who gave a bad-boy vibe, was actually sent to protect her. Would have loved it if they delved more into her past, but still, they did well with the 12 episodes.


I WOULD ENDLESSLY ROOT FOR KINGFISHER

WHAT WAS THAT ENDING WITH THAT CALL?

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It Was Good

Southern anecdote starts its story in a city where a series of strange cases often occur, with supernatural and surreal elements. Given the Introduction to the main premise of the story, Southern Archives, an undercover organization under the alias of a famous company, dispatches a great duo of its agents to investigate. Following the adventures of the two agents and all the disasters they made, problems created, and solutions they ought to provide.

What I like in this show.

Their relationship, specifically their brotherhood, immerses an out-of-the-world depiction. Considering how much we didn't get much build-up/backstory in their brotherhood, it still felt amazingly realistic and tugging at one's heart; their performance gave the live, intensity, and power to their brotherhood. The brotherhood was touching, angsty, conflicting, and most of the time heartwarming. Even amidst the backdrop of the conflicts surrounding their brotherhood and personal lives, we could see the thin line of love and deep connection with care. Their relationship with their mentor is one to be mentioned; the mentor and student relationship was nonchalant, playful, lighthearted, and most times heartwarming, while looking underneath all the precious, truthful facade, the trust, responsibility, and care outshone all the playfulness and put that tender warmth in my heart at every one of their peaceful family period of the three.

The performance of most of the actors and both actresses, from the seamlessly tailored main casting to the amazing supporting casts and even the scene catchers from the guest actors, really contributed the most to this show; if they hadn't given this outstanding performance, the drama wouldn't have been given this popularity and rating.

Ding Yuxi displayed a new range of acting skills in this role, tackling a challenging task of depicting a multifaceted character to its core: depicting a psychopathic savage character, and the opposite cool character with a deep sense of warmth, pain, care, and regret; he really carried the role on like any other role I have seen him play. Zhang Xin Cheng designs his own space taken this role as one of mine best and unforgettable role up I have watched him played, though not given a wider range to showcase a vast embodiment, he showed clearly his dedication to the role and clearing all my uncertainties on his take, bearing, sustaining and immaculately depicting the emotional complexities the character had to offer, Zhang Xin Cheng was definitely more than a meet of an eye, would definitely love to see him in more projects in the future.

Even with the CGI not being well rendered, and the special effects giving a less than okay vibes, that feels okay, each of the few fight, their sequences and the neatly choreographed work subsequently continued to amaze me, following an emmaculate wireworks that felt absence through the dedication of the cast and crew, from the close hand to hand combat to the knife clashes, to much more, they were done mostly done precisely. The only thing is they should have given more attention to the fight scenes.

The plotline showcases something less convoluted, but gradually and steadily draws an overarching mystery that culminates in a whole process of thrilling suspense and seeking answers (leaving me quite disoriented and disturbed while watching the show, but you could find it interesting), that carefully unravels things, leaning closer to the end.


What I didn't quite enjoy

It was befitting to say the conflict between the brotherhood of the character was well emphasized (which is a downvote for me), and seemingly prolonged. The ending episode was a little rushed, as more details ought to be added seamlessly. Given how much conflict the brotherhood/bromance bore, they could have wrapped everything up in 30 eps, with the inclusion of the rushed ending, and mended everything well.

Conclusion

The drama was an extremely good watch for me; the ending gave a nice closure to some viewers, but that's not the case. I went into this expecting something that included more adventures rather than the bizarre cases, but everything amounted to a really great watch for me. With a great performance from the stunning cast, showcasing their due dedication where it matters, and even the villains stole scenes from the show, the plotline was overbearing at times, but it lets you understand everything as you watch more towards the end

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Loved the mystery more than less

General Remarks

I love how the mystery made me click to the next episode as each episode ended.

I love how mysterious and concealed certain characters were. In my opinion, it created intrigue about certain characters, particularly the villain. I felt the villain was the most compelling character of them all. He got me thinking about his motives and goals in taking the main character's identity. It evoked sympathy, and I loved that he chose revenge instead of wallowing in agony over his lover's death. I loved how the show manipulated the audience using flashbacks from different characters' POV. This tells you that seeing isn't always believing
.
The start of this was strong; I believe that made many of us click for more as the episode went by. Ryu Jun Yeol really put in effort in portraying every bit of frustration, fear, and despair in his character Je Mun Jae. I love the close-up shots of him, hinting at his frustrations. He also portrayed another contrasting character, namely the mouse. It was a fantastic portrayal

Sul Kyung Gu's character, No Ja, has a menacing and dangerous look, like a thug, but deep down he has a kind soul, as he refuses to kill his enemy. Though it angered me that he couldn't kill them when he had beaten them down, I thought it shed more light on how he is moving away from being a thug. His kind heart also extends to helping Je Mun Jae.
It irked me at the way No Ja was begging his enemy not to bury him alive; LIKE THAT DOESN'T EVEN MATCH HIS CHARACTER. ARE YOU KIDDING ME. I thought some mysteries were better not shown, as some seemed too unrealistic for a non-fictional show,

I liked the friendship between No Ja and Je Mun Jae, although it came too fast. It was realistic, as No Ja never completely trusts him, as there was a seed of doubt in his mind that sprouts at any word that can make him easily distrust Je Mun Jae.
I didn't like the main character; why was he always hasty every time, and why did his panic disorder come at a critical moment?

I loved the open ending, as we can all make our theories and deductions (for season 2)

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