Tried to do too much

My impression was that Gun and Pitch would be the main couple in this series, but their relationship was the worst out of all of them. An overdone, uninteresting love triangle with Zo that lasted way too long and an underdeveloped relationship between Gun and Pitch led to their relationship being so much nothing. Any time the story revolved around them, I found myself not paying much attention. The other two couples, however, stole the show. You have a sweet relationship that slowly forms between Wayu and Wayha, and then the messy and dramatic relationship between Pawin and Korn. These two couples are super entertaining and fun to watch.

However, the number of characters got the best of them in this show. With no time to develop the relationship between Gun and Pitch, the series felt incomplete. Not to mention the murder plotline that was introduced that receive little attention AT ALL despite being a major issue? It felt like the writers were throwing darts at a board to try to come up with what to do towards the end of the series. The ending felt unresolved and unfulfilling. I had to look up how many episodes this show had because I thought "this can't be the end, right?" Overall not a favorite of mine, but the side couples saved it and made it watchable.

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Should have stuck to one plotline...

I saw so many people hyping this show up and I wanted so badly to like it but I just found that it felt like two different plots/worlds smashed together into one with no real link between them. I'm not trying to be a hater - the fight scenes were great, the effects were good, and the storyline was interesting, but I just could not like it as much as I wanted to.

Tharn and Phaya are training to become part of the special forces detective team, and the training is intense, to say the least. It seems as though Tharn has some kind of innate sense if Phaya is in danger, and this sense is rooted in visions that allow him to see the danger that Phaya is in. The two of them become closer throughout their training, and even closer after it's completed and they're initiated into the force. However, there is an evil lurking. While trying to catch a rich and powerful drug cartel, secrets of the Naga sea monster threaten their safety more than the cartel does.

My main issue here is that we have this drug smuggling investigation going on with a team of detectives we've grown to love, and also the plot of the Naga, which seems to be totally unrelated except for the fact that Tharn is involved. If this was a fantasy/supernatural story, where Phaya and Tharn are dealing with the issue of the Naga, I'd have no problems with it. Or, if this was a story about becoming detectives and investigating this elaborate case, I would love it. However, combining these two things took away from the show, in my opinion. It felt like the Naga was added on too late in the show to be really important, and also it felt like it took away from the detective aspect of it and didn't give us a chance to see the investigation fully play out. I found myself getting distracted while watching it, waiting for the (well done) action scenes and case developments.

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I FINALLY UNDERSTAND THE HYPE

If you're considering watching this at all, DO IT!

As someone that had never watched a Chinese drama before, I had no idea what to expect when starting The Untamed. I have had it recommended to me countless times but always put it off because of the length of the series. Finally, I figured I should go ahead and give it a shot - and I immediately fell in love with it. This is one of the best series I have EVER seen, and I don't say that lightly.

There's no way I could ever give a proper summary of this show without spoiling some major plot points, but this story explores the world of cultivators, where warring clans bring about questions of honor, loyalty, and trust. Wei Wuxian is our main character and is wonderful to follow not because he is without faults, but because he has many. Throughout the (admittedly, messy) timeline of this show, the viewer watches Wei Wuxian face hardships that make him question time and time again if he is doing the right thing. After you watch him promise to "live with no regrets", you see it constantly become more difficult for him to do so.

There is nothing better than a show that properly delivers a complicated protagonist that makes the viewer question if they agree with their actions. This is done exceptionally well in this show. Additionally, I found that the political issues between clans were very interesting and engaging, bringing up complex topics where you can see both sides. This adds to the complexity of Wuxian's character extremely well. Wuxian is constantly battling between maintaining order by doing what everyone wants him to, and diverging from the status quo to do what he thinks should be done - and this gets him in a lot of trouble. Plus, the relationship between Wuxian and Lan Zhan is just wonderful; I know a lot of people weren't happy that this isn't explicitly queer, but believe me, it may as well be. I was worried that because this is a much longer show than I'm used to that it would get boring and repetitive, but it never did. Each story arc connected to the next perfectly, and continued to build until the very last episode. The only issue I could see people having with this one is the time jumps, which as long as you're paying attention, I don't think are too bad. Same with the names of the characters, as many of them have multiple names. As long as you can get through that, this show is absolutely wonderful. It's beautifully emotional, visually engaging, and will have you staying up late to watch another episode. Deserves no less than a 10/10.

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Don't waste your time

This is genuinely one of the worst shows I've seen. Between the horrible wigs, a mostly nonexistent plot, and toxic couples, there's no reason to watch this.

Day and Itt suck. And learning their back story makes them WORSE! Save yourself the mental damage this show does and watch literally anything else. Even the side couples are horrible! The more you learn about every character, the worse they get. An amnesia plotline spanning the entirety of the show is only interrupted by a back story full of sexual assault. The only good thing about this show was making fun of the wig they gave Itt.

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Stick through the beginning and it's wonderful

I was a little worried going in to WoH because I had kept hearing such great things about it, and I was concerned it wouldn't live up to the hype. However, after getting through the beginning of the show, each episode started to get better and better.

WoH is about Zhou Zishu, who is the chief of Window to Heaven. Window to Heaven is an elite team of assassins who take out corrupt officials in the martial arts world. However, Zhou Zishu's family has all left or been killed, so he decides it's time fo rhim to leave too. However, in order to leave Window to Heaven, he must imbed the seven nails of torment into his body, which leave him with only three years to live. He decides he will spend these three years wandering the world, drinking good wine, and basking in the sun. However, it seems that his remaining years won't be so peaceful - he gets wrapped up in saving a child, Chengling, after his clan is killed, and Wen Kexing, a fellow martial artist, is following them and trying to befriend the two. Zhou Zishu is wary of Wen Kexing, but over time the two become closer and jointly help to teach Chengling. But it seems the entire martial arts world is against them as everyone tries to get their hands on the Glazed Armor, which opens an armory said to hold all the secrets of the martial arts world.

Overall, this series was great. I honestly don't know how the relationship between Zhou Zishu and Wen Kexing got past any kind of censorship, because calling someone your soulmate THAT many times is not something two homies do. It was great to watch their "friendship" develop over the series, and as secrets come to light, we see that friendship tested. I do think the "I'm going to sacrifice myself to protect you!" got a bit old after the (I don't know) 5th time?? But it truly went to show how much these characters learned to trust and rely on one another. I do think my biggest complaint about this show is that I think it would have been much more interesting if it was told from the perspective of Wen Kexing instead of Zhou Zishu. I found Wen Kexing to be a much more interesting character, and I feel like we could have gotten a little more exploration of his character. Still, I would highly recommend this one! BUT BE SURE TO WATCH THE EPILOGUE AFTER YOU FINISH EP 36!

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SO different from the description

This show being described as some high schoolers getting into illegal business does not describe what's actually going on here. It's not about some little petty crimes these high schoolers commit - in fact, I'd argue it's not about the crime at all. This show is about the downfall of Oh Jisoo, our main character.

Oh Jisoo is a high school student that fully supports himself. He's got no family or friends to lean on, and no drive to seek help. He takes care of himself; however, he needs money to do that. Jisoo runs a protection service for sex workers, but remains anonymous to his clients. He sends in help when it's needed, takes a cut of the pay, and never has to meet his clients face to face. However, when Gyuri, a girl from school, starts learning of Jisoo's activities, she wants in. You watch Jisoo, who was doing just fine on his own, slowly crumble as everything he has built falls apart with no way for him to right his wrongs.

I was super excited about this show, especially because of the high ratings, but was fairly disappointed. The first 8 episodes felt like minor conflicts were being drawn out for no reason, and honestly I wasn't really rooting for a single character in this. However, I will say that the ending was perfect and the last episode kept me very entertained. For a shorter series, it was a fairly enjoyable watch, but I found myself not paying attention to large portions of it because it felt like a lot of conflicts didn't matter. I do think if you go into it knowing that the true story here is not about the sex work or the crimes, but about watching our main character fall apart over the course of the show, it would be a much more engaging watch. Every issue he faces builds on top of the last, and with no ability to resolve his problems, Oh Jisoo slowly loses his mind.

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More romance than fantasy

I expected this to be a fantasy romance similar to Tale of the Nine Tailed (also starring Jo Boah), but was a bit disappointed in the lack of fantasy elements! The plot revolves around Hongjo (Boah) who is given a spellbook from Shinyu (Rowoon) and decides to use the love spell to make her work crush fall in love with her. Naturally, things go wrong. Meanwhile, Shinyu desperately needs her to cast a spell to cure his disease that is seemingly incurable, and worsening. After the first few episodes though, these fantasy elements seem to be totally lost! While past lives and family history get brought up, I thought there would be a lot more going on with the spells/generational curse/etc. than there was.

Watch for the romance and it's a fantastic show. Rowoon and Boah have great chemistry as the main couple and are super fun to watch. But if you wanted to watch this for the fantasy elements, they're not there in much capacity when compared with other fantasy romances.

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Slowburn rivals to lovers?? Count me in.

Bad Buddy is a show that I didn't expect to like as much as I did. While it looks like a classic, cheesy, Romeo-and-Juliet style romance, it's done exceptionally well.

The relationship between Pat and Pran starts off with what seems to be them hating each other - except that's what the character's want everyone to believe. Not only do their parents forbid them from being together, but (naturally) architecture and engineering students could never date due to their rivalry. This forbidden romance between childhood best friends that have finally been reunited is just an enjoyable and sweet watch. The conflicts throughout the show make you enjoy the characters' arcs, and watching them go through issues with their families, friends, and school.

Bonus points for including women as actual characters with personalities (let's go lesbians!!!)

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A Business Gay Performance

This show is not good. I'll start there. However, it is hilarious. If you watch it like you're watching a badly scripted SNL skit, it's AWESOME.

The plot is Nine and Mill are debuting together in a group with the concept of "business gay performance," which is essentially fanservice. Naturally, the two of them realize that they have feelings for each other as well. The pacing of the show is totally off, the script is bad, and the acting is worse. It's basically them acting out poorly-written fanfiction. It's never as queer as you want it to be, and instead you're left laughing at the absurdity of the show. I enjoyed watching every episode of this and laughed real hard at it. Don't go in with high expectations. It's probably only worth watching if you're a fan of onlyoneof, in which case the plot seems very fitting considering the group's concept.

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Only good if you're a big fan of EarthMix

Out of all of EarthMix's projects, this one is by far the worst. While the two have great chemistry, who thought that this plot was a good idea?

Win (Mix) is in a car accident with his sister, Lin, and when he wakes up he's in his sister's body. He then embarks on a journey with his former friend Korn (Earth) in order to retrieve holy water to return to his body. Along this journey, past issues between Win and Korn resurface and as the two learn to get along again, feelings between them emerge - but does Korn have feelings for Win, or does he only care about the body his soul is transported in?

The entire conflict of this show being "is he into me or is he into me because I'm in my sister's body" is crazy. What even. Regardless, watching the relationship between Win and Korn change was very enjoyable, and the fairly slow burn friends-to-lovers was fun to watch. But thank god it was only 10 episodes because I don't think I could have watched much more.

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One of the only dramas I would consider perfect

Some of these reviews calling Vincenzo overhyped baffle me. This was hands down one of the best dramas I've ever seen. Song Joongki as Vincenzo was absolutely amazing, and the rest of the cast perfectly complemented him.

Vincenzo is a mafia lawyer who has left his mafia family in Italy to return to Korea and retrieve the money he has stashed there. in the form of gold. This gold is conveniently buried under a building in order to keep it safe, but he must tear down the building to retrieve it. One small issue: the building is full of tenants. In the midst of attempting to figure out how to get these tenants to leave, Vincenzo encounters a much larger problem: the conglomerate Babel is attempting to buy the building from him in order to demolish it and build their own. Vincenzo decides to take the side of the tenants in order to secure his building, without revealing his true plans. This gets him wrapped up in Babel's business, which leads to bigger problems than he ever anticipated.

This is a drama that starts off seemingly light and fun, with funny building tenants and even funnier interactions between them and Vincenzo. However, as the show progresses, it becomes darker and darker. The morally gray protagonist Vincenzo makes you question whether or not you should be rooting for him time and time again, and while he always seems to come out on top, you're never quite sure if that was for the best, or if the ends could ever justify his means. Throughout the show, this unsettling feeling grows in the viewer, until you're not really sure if you should have ever rooted for him in the first place...

This show kept me on the edge of my seat every episode. With elements of crime, law, and mafia, I knew I was bound to like it but it truly blew me away. I wish I could watch it for the first time again.

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An unfulfilling short series

I was really excited to start The Bequeathed because it seemed like it had everything I liked wrapped up into a short 6-episode series. It wasn't until I started the final episode that I realized there was no way they could wrap everything up as cleanly as I would have liked. The twists in the story weren't all that surprising, and I felt that I wasn't too invested in ay of the characters.

Yoon Seoha finds out she has inherited a family burial ground from a recently deceased uncle whom she had never met. Meanwhile, she finds out her husband is cheating on her and she likely didn't get the job promotion she thought she would. When a man claiming to be her half-brother starts fighting her for this burial ground, it seems like Seoha's life is spiraling out of control. No matter which way she turns, it seems that only hardships follow, and though she's suspecting everyone around her, she can't help but feel like it may be her family's own bad karma.

When it comes to crime K-dramas, there's a high bar. I love a good mystery, a good investigation, and a good, well-thought out killer. Unfortunately, this one just didn't quite deliver. While it was a very enjoyable and quick watch, I felt that something was lacking the whole time. I found Seoha difficult to sympathize with, as she always threw the blame on the closest person and never seemed to think things through. If they wanted to focus on the police investigation, they could have done that too, but that also felt like it was only peripheral even though they attempted to flesh out the cops working the case as much as they could. I think this story would have been a lot more compelling if told from the perspective of the lead detective instead of Seoha, or if Seoha was a bit more likeable as a character. Still, it was a fun show and an easy watch because of its length.

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WAY better than I expected

Even though I have seen this drama recommended over and over again, I kept putting off watching it because I don't like hospital dramas typically. But then I started watching it and was HOOKED. This isn't your typical hospital drama with the focus on a patient every episode. It's so much better.

Tin is a third year resident doctor in the ER. His job is busy - there's constantly people that need his attention, whether that be for some scrapes and bruises or for CPR emergencies. When he's not dealing with that, he has to deal with Professor Sak on his back about prioritizing the right cases and sending the rest to him. One particularly busy day, Tin gets multiple life-or-death cases, and he attempts to help a college student named Tol who was in a car crash. No matter how hard he tries, Tin can't save him and the student dies. Then, when Tin wakes up before his shift, he realizes that he's living the same day over again, down to the last detail. When Tol shows up in the ambulance once again, Tin's attempts still fail to save him. How many times will Tin have to relive this tragedy? How can he change it, and what repercussions will these changes have?

The way that Tin and Tol's relationship develops over the course of the show is absolutely spectacular. It's not the main point of the show, but rather a secondary plotline that helps build the characters they're playing. Watching Tin get closer and closer to Tol, but still having to watch him die over and over again is painful but amazing to watch.

I was worried that it would get stale and that watching Tin repeat his days would get too repetitive but BOY was I wrong! Tin's character continues to find new ways to attempt to save Tol, but this can lead to unexpected consequences. The further he goes back in time, the closer he can get to Tol, and the larger the impact of his actions on his future. This was a series that surprised me throughout the entire show and is not one to miss.

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