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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Should have kept it simple

I wasn't quite sure what to expect going in to DFF, but it really got me hooked in the first episode. Though there were some frankly unnecessarily explicit sex scenes for a thriller, the setup to the plot was done really well.

Eight college friends take a trip to one friend's house in the woods, where there's no internet or cell service, to get away from the stress of school and have a big party before one of them goes off to study abroad. Our main(ish) character Phee (Ta) finds an old recording of a short film that 5 of the friends had made back in high school - but there's a 6th friend in the video that Phee doesn't recognize. That 6th person is Non (Barcode), who went missing after filming. The vibe turns eerie as they attempt to remake this short film, only to feel as though they're being watching. Suddenly, bad things start happening, and with no way to contact others, the 8 friends are left stranded, scared for their lives.

I assumed this show would take the typical cabin-in-the-woods horror movie idea and turn it into a TV show. However, the plotline started to become overly complex as it delved into the backstory of the original short film. Breaking up the tension at the cabin really did a disservice to this show, as it felt like it had to do a lot of explaining over the course of multiple episodes just to get the audience to understand what was happening. I felt like I was waiting to get out of the flashbacks and back to the cabin to figure out what was happening. I think they attempted to make this show overly complex, which ended up not working in their favor. There were too many characters and too much messy backstory for what could have been a really great thriller. Not to mention, the show gets really gore-heavy towards the end. However, as I expected from beoncloud, the budget was clearly pretty high for this one and the effects and production were great, as was the acting. I think they lost themselves in the story a little, but it was still very enjoyable to watch.

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What makes a good killer?

A Shop for Killers is a very unique take on the contract killer plotline. It was a show that I was very excited to start, especially as a fan of Lee Dongwook, and it was very entertaining all the way through. However, I felt like there were a few parts of the show that felt off. The first bit will be free of spoilers, so I'll mark where they start.

The opening scene of the show has Jeong Jian, our protagonist, getting shot at in her home. A very striking opening scene that had me excited to see both what happens next and how we got there. However, it's the latter that I have to complain about. This show jumps back and forth a LOT between the present and the past. Jian has an uncle, Jeong Jinman, who seems to be up to some shady business. These jumps to the past allow us to understand what exactly that shady business is, and how it concerns her. However, it is very non-linear in its storytelling. I think the one thing that bothered me the most about this wasn't the fact that we kept jumping between times, but the fact that they replayed scenes we had seen before so many times to orient the viewer in the timeline, but it was just excessive and unnecessary most of the time. The replayed scenes were so much longer than they needed to be, especially because this is an 8 episode series. If you've forgotten THAT much of the show when it's so short, it's probably because you weren't paying attention.

Another fault brought about by this non-linear storytelling was the fact that the viewer didn't get to learn the truth alongside Jian, but rather knew before her. You learn very early on about Jinman's career as a contract killer, but you have to watch a confused and scared Jian learn this WAY later than you do, at which point it doesn't pack the same punch. I will say though, watching Jian go through so many emotions in the span of just a few days is an incredible watch, and the actress did a great job portraying her.

**Spoilers start here**

My last and biggest issue with this show was the ending. What a copout! You get to watch Jian go through all this internal turmoil of should I kill or should I not, how could I ever run this business, etc. just for all that to go out the window because Jinman is ALIVE?? The entire story could have been avoided. You could argue that that's what makes Jian such a tragic character, but I thought that leaving the storyline right before they introduced Jinman at the end would have been a perfectly fine ending - a young girl, left to figure out the world with no one on her side. Could Jian become a killer like Jinman? Does she have what it takes, or is she only fueled by the rage that her parents' and uncle's death caused? I guess these questions don't really matter, because she doesn't need to be on her own anymore!

Overall, it was a good show and an engaging watch. Besides some issue with the storytelling and the ending, it was very interesting to watch the plot unfold both in the past and present. Frankly, I think this could have have spanned two seasons, with one season being all about Jinman and one about Jian, but the back and forth didn't get too messy. Worth checking out if you like short and dark thrillers.

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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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A good crime drama that had something missing

Any time there's a new crime kdrama, I'm likely to watch it. It's one of my favorite genres. So when I saw A Killer Paradox on Netflix, I knew it would be worth a shot. While it's definitely not my favorite show, it was a fun and short watch. I do think Netflix has been doing itself a disservice with these shorter shows, as there always seems to be something lacking from them.

Lee Tang is our main character and at first, he seems incredibly normal. He doesn't get good grades and seems to be a bit lost on what he wants to do with his life. While working at his part-time job at the convenience store, some particularly annoying customers come in. Lee Tang doesn't seem to be one to lose his temper, and mostly ignores them. However, as he's leaving, one of them attacks him - and Lee Tang fights back and kills the guy. However, when the murder case is "solved", Lee Tang is not charged, or really even suspected. Plus, it turns out the dead guy wasn't just some annoying customer, but a horrible person himself. It seems Lee Tang got lucky - and it seems this luck continues to follow him with every murder he commits. As he starts to be consumed by guilt, will Lee Tang's luck run out? Will the cops finally catch on to what he's doing? Or can Lee Tang manage to keep scraping by?

This drama was nearly comical even though it has a serious tone. A murder unknowingly kills horrible people, and always seems to get away with it in a superhero (or villain) style. Lee Tang is an interesting main character because he's so....normal. I think the one thing I really would have liked to see in this show is more tension between Lee Tang and the detective that's pursuing him. It seems like it would've really helped to round out the story, which I believe could have been done if they had had a bit more time. As much as I love shorter series, I think it's hard to do a complete crime show in just 8 episodes. That being said, I really enjoyed this one and thought it ended very well.

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Watch for OffGun

Cooking Crush was about what I expected it to be: a silly goofy gay romance. Don't go in expecting anything other than that, and it's a great watch. There might not be much in the way of drama, but boy is it cute and fun!

Prem (Gun) is a culinary student, who doesn't really stick out with his abilities, but does an okay job. When his sister loses her tuition money, Prem needs a way to get it back fast. Ten (Off) is a med student who decides he wants to learn to cook - but really, he just wants to be around Prem. Prem charges him an outrageous fee for cooking lessons, but Ten doesn't mind since his dad is wealthy. The two get closer during their cooking lessons, and feelings start to emerge between them, but it seems there will be some obstacles before they can be together.

If you like OffGun, you should watch this. It's really goofy, and no problems seem to be drawn out too long. Overall a good show and an easy watch.

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One of the better K-BLs I've seen

Love for Love's Sake surprised me a little! I had gotten a few clips of it on social media, specifically the fight scenes, and assumed it would be a high school romance with the classic K-drama-style bullying in it. When I started the show, I realized it was much more than that.

Our main character Myung-ha gets transported into what seems to be a video game, and sent back 10 years to when he was 19. The game gives him a mission: make Yeo-woon happy within 300 days, or receive a penalty of death. Myung-ha is able to see how much Yeo-woon likes him, which should be helpful, except for the fact that this score starts at -20. Myung-ha has to attempt to make Yeo-woon happy, but tragedy seems to strike at unexpected times. Myung-ha is simultaneously dealing with his own feelings towards Yeo-woon, as well as school-related issues now that he's in high school once again.

This show was much more emotional than I expected it to be, and it worked in its favor. I did find the ending to be not quite what I expected and not in the best way, but overall it was a super solid show that was very enjoyable to watch. The actors did a great job portraying these characters, and I feel like their growth worked really well even in this shorter series. My biggest complaint about the show was the Myung-ha got a bit frustrating to watch as the main character, as it seemed like he was always unwilling to deal with his own feelings, even if it would be to the benefit of everyone involved, including himself. It sometimes seemed like he didn't really like Yeo-woon all that much, even though the viewer can see he clearly does. Besides this, the show was a great watch and visually very pleasing. I thought the different aspect ratios used throughout the show helped to capture the emotions and the difference between the previous and current life that Myung-ha is living. As far as Korean BLs go, this is definitely one of the better ones!

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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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Another victim of the K-BL format

Nearly every Korean BL I watch has the exact same issue: not enough time. And this one is no exception. I was excited to watch this one as a fan of SF9, and was slightly disappointed to see such potential in a show that could never live up to it, due to the time limits that K BLs seem to always have.

Hanjoon has secretly been in love with his childhood best friend Yoojae for a long time now, but only truly realized it when he starts to get jealous that Yoojae is pursuing a girl. This brings out a lot of tension in their relationship, as both of them are quick to anger when it comes to issues with each other. It takes a long time for them both to realize that the reason they're always on edge with each other is because both of them are harboring more feelings than they thought, and neither of them know how to process it.

Each of these 15-20 minute episodes could have and should have been 45 min. There's a quick conflict in every episode, where the causes, conflict, and aftermath are never fully fleshed out. Plus, they attempted to give both characters complex family situations without having the time to do so properly. They either should have cut out some unnecessary conflicts to flesh out the characters, or lengthen the episodes to flesh out the conflicts. As is typical, there is truly no way to have multiple complex characters with multiple complex conflicts in a series with a total run time less than a movie. Frankly, a movie would have been better because at least it would have been one continuous storyline instead of 8 separate conflicts that they resolve in under 5 minutes. I was, however, pleasantly surprised by the acting of the main two. The tension and fights felt like real issues that 18-year-olds would have, and nothing about this show felt cheesy. A fun watch that I wouldn't recommend too highly.

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STUNNING

I went into this with an open mind, as I've never watched Thai historical dramas before but tend to enjoy them from other countries, so figured I should give it a shot. This is one of if not the most beautifully shot show I have ever seen. It is simply stunning to watch. The characters and storyline are written perfectly, and the backdrop of 1920s Chiang Mai is beautiful.

After a horrible ending to his long-term relationship, Jom (Nonkul) goes out drinking and ends up crashing his car into a lake. Luckily, he manages to get out and survive - but wakes up 100 years in the past. He washed up on the land of a wealthy lord, and is taken in to be a servant for the son of the lord, Yai (Bright). Both Jom and Yai seem to recognize each other from their dreams, and the two quickly become closer. Naturally, this creates rumors and problems for Yai, as there are certain expectations of him. Jom, who is still trying to return to his time, seems to slowly become content with staying where he's at, as long as it means he can stay with Yai. However, between the societal pressure they face as a couple and the complications with Jom's time traveling, they both fear that all these good things must eventually come to an end.

This show blew me away. I can't believe I loved it as much as I did, and would urge anyone that likes historical dramas to give it a try. It was perfectly executed. My biggest qualms with many Thai dramas tend to be drawn out and unnecessary conflicts, but those were never present here. Truly a wonderful drama that I couldn't recommend more.

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Stunning, Emotional, and Nearly Perfect

As is typical with shows directed by Aof, this is a masterpiece. The visuals are beautiful, the acting wonderful, and the storyline nearly perfect. I watched this as it aired and I looked forward to it every single week.

Day (Sea) has recently gone blind and is suffering mentally because of this. He has fallen into a depressive episode, refusing to leave his room or even open his blinds. His mom has had to hire caretaker after caretaker because no one can seem to put up with Day and his attitude - until Mhok (Jimmy). Mhok is trying to get any job he can to earn money, which isn't too easy when you have a criminal record. Day knows his mom will hate Mhok, which is precisely why he chose him, hoping that this will stop his mom from hiring someone else. Unexpectedly, Mhok seems more committed to this job than anyone ever has, and it seems that the key to winning Day over was simply to treat him like a normal person. Slowly, feelings start to develop between the two as Mhok shows Day that life can be just as wonderful even though he's gone blind.


*Spoilers Start Here*

Up until the finale, this show was actually perfect. Not a plot point was out of place, the pacing was wonderful, and the development of the characters and their relationship was absolutely beautiful. Watching Mhok and Day learn about themselves through each other and fight to be together was absolutely wonderful. However, the only reason I couldn't give this a 10/10 was the finale. I was concerned the first time Day received the cornea transplant, and was surprisingly relieved when it didn't work. I kept thinking - this entire show is about overcoming the challenges of being blind and Day learning to accept himself and his new reality, so why would they make it so he could see again? So in the finale when Day gets a SECOND cornea transplant that works, I was a little disappointed. It felt a bit like saying "your life will get better because your disability can be healed!" which is not typically how that works. I understand the narrative they made of "giving things a second chance" and how the second cornea transplant worked into that, but it still felt a bit off to suddenly throw in Day regaining his sight in a show that otherwise focused on how he could make the most of his life and be happy and in love despite his disability. So, I can only say this show was nearly perfect. It is still a beautiful show that is 100% worth watching, though it is an emotional one. Luckily, these emotional aspects aren't the typical relationship troubles, but rather Mhok and Day as a couple working through the hardships that come their way.

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Perfect balance of fantasy and romance

My Demon surprised me with how well they managed to do a romance drama while still keeping the fantasy elements all the way through, and keeping an entertaining storyline. I will say that most of the twists were fairly predictable, but even still the story itself was very enjoyable to watch.

Jung Gu-won (Song Kang) plays a demon who makes deals with people in exchange for their soul. Additionally, he has powers that essentially make him invincible. Do Do-hee (Kim Yoo-jung) is the CEO's favorite potential successor of Mirae group, though she's the only non-blood related candidate. This naturally creates tension within the family of this corporation, and the lengths to which the other family members are willing to go to in order to destroy Do-hee become clear as the story progresses. When a twist of fate bring Gu-won and Do-hee together, they both reluctantly become reliant on each other, which leads to unexpected romance between them.

Overall, a great fantasy romance. They somehow managed to hit every romance trope and still pull off each one. The actors have great chemistry together, and the development of the relationship is well-paced and fun to watch.

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Supernatural thriller x emotional rollercoaster

(Reviewing the entire show here)
When I started death's game, I was fairly intrigued. The idea of a character being forced to live 12 lives that are destined to end quickly was an exciting plot idea, and I was curios to see where they could take it. As the show progresses, it gets more and more interesting.

Yee-jae's life seems to be clouded by misfortune. Without ever being able to catch a break, he decides to take his own life, only to be confronted by Death herself with a punishment that she sees fit: he must live as (and attempt to prevent the imminent death of ) 12 different people. But no matter how hard he tries to prevent them, the deaths seem completely unavoidable. Slowly, he realizes that the deaths he's facing seem to be related, and so he attempts to figure out this common denominator using the knowledge of all the lives he's lived. Naturally, Death doesn't want him messing around in her punishment, and is sure to make each death more painful than the last.

This show was much more emotional than I thought it would be, and I really enjoyed it. I thought that the way the episodes led into the next was well done, and it didn't feel like the tone shifted abruptly, but rather throughout each life Yee-jae lived, he seemed to learn more and become more empathetic. The cast was AMAZING and did an excellent job portraying these very different characters, while still conveying the same emotions that Yee-jae would have felt in every new situation. The ending was very well done, and wrapped up the show very nicely. It's a fairly short watch, and definitely worth taking a look at!

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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 watch for the mafia plotline...

I almost wish I could rate this lower. The "gangster" aspects mostly involved a loose mafia plotline, complete with poorly choreographed fight scenes and a rivalry that made no sense. However, despite the lackluster gangster oppa plot, I found myself enjoying every single episode WAY more than I expected.

This show is fun. It's light, an easy watch, and unintentionally goofy. There's not too much drama between the couple over the course of the 8 episodes, which is ideal in a show like this. Tew (Meen) and Guy (Ping) meet while playing online games together and decide to meet up. The two totally hit it off and start hanging out together more regularly, which of course leads to them falling in love. However, Tew's attempts to hide his "gangster" identity don't go well, and this could put Guy in danger. I find mafia BLs to be hit or miss, especially when it comes to the action scenes. I don't typically expect a lot out of Thai BLs when it comes to that, but if you're going to do a gangster concept, I do think that's pretty important. While it may have missed the mark there, it made up for it in the cute and fun romance, which is worth watching.

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