KingC

"Love and Loyalty Run Deeper Than Blood."

I borrowed this tag line from the cover of "Vampire Academy". If you have read that novel, you may get a gist of why I chose that as the headline.

I had a hard time rating this drama. It arose very conflicting emotions in me. Was it well written? Yes, personally. But, what I find disconcerting is the mixture of genres.
The story revolves around a small town, Gifu, where a University student had mysteriously disappeared. What's more, the MIA student is accused of sexually assaulting and drugging several girls. Fast forward 15 years later, his own father is found dead soon after his missing son's body is found buried.

One of the people whose life/passion got ruined by the case happens to be Miyazaki Dai, a police officer who had been present at Gifu during the event. When the case is handed to him, he discovers that the prime suspect was Sanada Rio, the gifted president of the Sanada group... who also happens to be his first love.
Delving for the truth, he is forced to question everyone whom he once cared about. But, what exactly was the Sanada family hiding?

This is perhaps the first blended drama I've ever seen. It goes from Family, to Life to Mystery, Crime, Law and Thriller all at once. What makes it distinctly stand out from the others that I've watched is the how the writers managed to make us care for the characters one by one. It made us understand why certain difficult choices had to be made and why certain truths had no option, but to get hidden.

Romance is not an integral part of Saiai. Dai-chan was completely professional when it came to the investigation. I was surprised by how he managed to juggle both his emotions and loyalty to his work. Sanada Rio was as assertive as him. No one allowed their emotions to get the better of them.
I initially disliked Kase-san, but he was just doing his job. Perhaps, being a lawyer is not as easy as it looks.

The BGMs were constant. Someone would be chasing a suspect, but the music never switches to a thrilling vibe. I personally did not find this annoying. But, the choice in music affects the aura of the drama.
Kimi Ni Muchuu by Utadari Hikari is repeatedly used throughout and now it has become one of my favorite songs, even though I rarely like soft music.

A sir who once came to my class asked a question to a girl who was trenchant in her opinion about how justice should be served and criminals should be arrested: "If the person is someone like your own brother, would you do it?"
She replied: "Yes, ofcourse! I will punish him!"
But, all he said was: "No, you won't. You have never been in such a situation, but when it comes to you, you won't do it."

I do not know how true Sir's staement was, but this drama is the closest to what I could find to corroborate what he had said.
The title "Dearest" is the most fitting. At the end of the day, everyone are someone else's dearest.

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Fresh, Funny, Witty and Smart.

Dali and Cocky Prince is a breath of fresh air, particularly if you are seeking a respite from regular dramas that require a lot of emotional investment.
To be honest, I began this with absolutely no expectations. While I found the pilot episode extremely entertaining, it wasn't strong enough to make me start watching the second episode. But, I decided to give a go. Just as the synopsis promised, the real story starts from the second episode, with the death of the FL's father. The premise seemed to be something that could be riddled with cliches: Female lead falls into hard times and the Male lead, the knight in shining armour appears to save her. The overall plot can be deduced within the first few episodes, particularly if you are a long time viewer of Korean Dramas. But, don't be fooled. This is one of those dramas out there whose vital force lies within the capable hands of our leading characters, who, without question, is the highlight of the show.

☆ Kim Da Li was brought up by her loving father, who ran a private art gallery. She is confident, refined and composed, having an intense love for art and knowledge. With the death of her father comes the biggest trial of her life: saving her father's debt ridden gallery from closure and weeding out friends and enemies. What I loved about her was that she was evidently smart. There wasn't a single moment where I was annoyed by her or her actions. But, she does have her own setbacks, particularly when it comes to Business and Art.

☆ Jin Moo Hak is the nouveau riche Director of Dong Gong F&B, a Gamjatang restaurant chain that had tiny beginnings. Despite his extreme wealth he lacks several factors and they include: education and class.
And he is quite honest about how much he loves money. I haven't seen such an unabashed male lead in a while. It is his unique and sharp personality that earns my respect. If Kim Da Li was book smart, he was street smart with a sharp focus on business related… business. He knew how to earn cash and observed scenarios with a keen eye. It's my first time seeing Kim Min Jae, but he was absolutely wonderful and served justice for his character.

☆ Their banter and budding relationship was a delight to follow. Coming from opposite spheres of the society, their initial meeting as strangers and finally a creditor and a debtor was absolutely fun and entertaining.
While there were several cringeworthy moments from Moo Hak, particularly due to his lack of etiquette, his straightforward attitude and confidence in himself made him a real gem among male leads. There were several instances that I thought he would crumble, but his guts and wit elevated him to a much better position and class that several other characters in the drama claim to have. I loved how supportive the two characters were towards each other.

☆ Right from the first episode, we are are hinted about something much bigger and mysterious going on behind the scenes. The later episodes were really well balanced when it came to focussing on the leads as well as the sideplots. They weren't boring and I was curious about how the whole web was going to get untangled.

☆Won Tak was another fun addition. His care towards Dali and his love-hate relationship with Moo Hak was entertaining and heartwarming at the same time.
"Your face is the best security!" will always be one of my favorite lines from Moo Hak. Also, episode 6 "Is Garbage Art?" had me in tears.

☆ The ex-boyfriend, Jang Tae Jin, was annoying. But, the other characters were really intelligent and dealt their card (limited) well. The art gallery itself had only a limited number of characters and we see their backgrounds and get to know them much better as the story progresses.
There was Jin Moo Hak's family, whom I found irritating as well as amusing at the same time. But, I loved how both he and his father were sharp, despite everything.

☆ The OST leaned more towards the simple side, personally for me. They fit in well with the overall vibe of the drama. I particularly liked some of the hilarious BGM that would pop up.

☆ Last, but not the least, a shout out to Moo Hak's coworkers at the restaurant and Miss Yeom. They made even the toughest episode light and enjoyable. Moo Hak and Miss Yeom were effortlessly funny and serious simultaneously as a duo. I loved how his rapport with his coworkers was portrayed.

A solid 8.5/10 for being one cute little drama that was perfect for me to relax with. I did not focus much on the outfits and scenic shots, but it give me an insight about art galleries that I was unaware about. It might have had it's own drawbacks, but I had dove in without keeping my hopes high. I felt that writers' purpose was to provide a solid and well written story that was enjoyable and entertaining as well.
It was light, emotional and a fluffy mix that exceeded my expectations.

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Emotionally captivating, but lacks depth.

Advertised and hyped up as one of the most thrilling survival series, I decided to watch it to see what the fuss was all about. While I enjoyed all the episodes, I have to say, for Korean Drama standards, the plot falls way below expectations. Plus, the bar was set already high for Squid Game as there are well written predecessors of the same genre.

☆ The drama is buoyed by the excellent and admirable performances of the cast, who did a wonderful job portraying the variety of characters. I stuck through for them. But, I did not have anyone that I was particularly fond of or attached to.

☆ The sets were brilliant in a dark manner. The production value of Kdramas rarely disappoint.

Now…

☆ I am definitely among the minority here, but the plot was really lacking, especially since it's a Korean Drama. SG depends on the strengh of it's characters. It attempts to emotionally pull you in. (And it seems to have succeeded, considering the hype.) Out of most of the countries I've watched, Korean Dramas, if given the right script and a good planning, usually produce excellent shows that are highly satisfying, regardless of their one hour long duration. While I understand the intention of letting the horror of the childrens' games in the drama sink deep, the backstory or motive behind the organizers of the game seems to be added almost as an afterthought. Game after game would be going on, but I was interested in only one plot thread involving No. 29 Guard. Ofcourse, they writers chose a trope for several character arcs.
The Games themselves were not intense, but it was the price that had to be paid for failure that was horrible. At one point, I stopped expecting anything different since most of the players made it out purely because of dumb luck or experience. There were some scenes and gore that as @WandeRer mentioned in his review: gratuitous. They served little to no purpose at all or even if I was interested in it, I got no proper explanation. I even felt that some deaths were added on for the sake of shock value.

☆The last three episodes are the ones I enjoyed the least. There seemed to be a sudden twist for one character in particular. Not to mention, some of the explanations were highly unconvincing to me. Maybe the writers are hoping to tie up a few loose threads in the second season. But, I don't know if I'd watch it.


☆ The OST, unfortunately for me, did not do the trick. This might be a result of me not having any particular attachment to any characters, but some scenes that were supposed to rile up intense emotions fell flat. I couldn't get the right 'survival' or 'thrilling' vibes that I was supposed to be feeling. Regular Kdramas such as Flower of Evil or Strangers From Hell managed to pull that in a better way according to me. I was more focussed on guessing who was going to come out alive since many of the actions' by the characters were predictable. All that remained was how long they survived.


☆ I've been seeing people compare it to Imawa No Kuni No Alice, but I see nothing similar among them except for the 'survival game' theme. I've also heard that the script writer was inspired by a few TV shows, one of them being the Liar Game. While I can definitely see the influence, I can't compare any of them since the purpose behind each is entirely different.

☆ Squid Game is not a bad drama. It's a decent watch. Long time watchers of this genre would find nothing new since Survival Games all have their own tropes. I can see that the hype surrounding it is by most people who accidentally stumbled upon KDramas for the first time or are new to this genre.

It all comes down to personal preference at the end. I enjoyed it, but the plot, particularly the last bit, managed to render the drama's build-up to almost nothing. It didn't have enough momentum to tempt me into watching a second season, unfortunately.

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"Dura Lex, Sed Lex."

Cassandra Clare's books were the ones that introduced me to this term, popularly known as the Brocard Law, which when translated from Latin means "The Law is harsh, but it is the Law." Thankfully, she found a strong counterpart against this which is the family motto of the Blackthorns: "A bad law is no law."

Not Me reminded me a lot about this. If you are looking for romance in particular, then this drama might not be for you as it deals more with politics and justice than with love.

It delves into the depth of the social injustice faced by humans in the hands of law and the higher officials. Personally, I did not find it as 'dark' as viewers had said. Moreover, it brought forth certain shady topics that one would not dare to openly do so in a country. I applaud the production team and the whole crew for their bravery in putting this forward.

Four university students who work part time in a motorcycle garage decide to push the limits of law and commit acts of delinquence in order to shine light on the illegal activities being done by the major influential personalities, with businessman and politician, Tawei as their main target. When Black, their ringleader gets beaten to the point of unconsciousness, he is replaced by his more capable and refined twin White, whose existence is hidden as a result of his parents divorce.
As he seeks too find the culprit who caused his brother's injuries with the help of their mutual friend Todd while on incognito mode, White slowly starts to realize that Black was not whom he had known many years ago.

First and foremost, Thai dramas are literally the only ones listed on MDL where I feel genuinely like a useless pile of snack wrappers while watching them. All the characters are students who are passionate about their studies and what they do —- may it be Political Science, Law, Art or even Dance.
They really work hard to study and knows very well the consequences of their actions, right upto the years they would be sentenced to, once they are caught. They are purposeful and know their cause, fight for their rights and want their voices to be heard.
Issues such as LGBTQ+ rights and the loopholes of the Law of Impunity are discussed in detail and for once, I sat down to actually listen instead of fastforwarding. I aspire to be even as half as brave as them.

The entire drama follows their chronicles. And they do it as a final resort since nobody would help them. They are not the bad guys, per se. I even rooted for them. I predicted the ending since the very beginning, so I was not let down by the final episode.

The cast was spectacular, particularly Gun Attaphan who played the dual role of Black and White. It was so well done that I'm convinced that these were two different individuals instead of the same person. Same goes for Sean and Yok. The actors practically made the characters alive. Minor supporting roles such as Eugene, Namo and Nuchi and their rapport with the main characters were interesting to watch. I did not feel that any character was added in as a 'waste'.

The OST was beyond amazing and captured the essence of the drama perfectly. The opening song is so beautiful even without understanding what was being sung. (Not Me by Kang Songks.)

This was an experimental, yet a didactic experience for me. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute and would not mind rewatching it again.

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The Good Things Came too Late...

That's my feeling about "Love Mate".
Why the heading? The drama had to step into the 'character growth' aspect much earlier. The first few episodes was just plain cute stuff to satisfy viewers and it did not help that both the leads were exactly that. Cute and fluffy.

Lee Jun is an uptight Team Leader and planner. His disdainful view on dating and love is reflected in his proposal for a game depicting why single life is the best. However, his idea is thwarted and scoffed upon by a rookie, Ha Ram, who makes it his personal goal to irritate him. {I personally liked how Ha Ram questioned Lee Jun. He sort of deserved that as his proposal seemed to make people who are couples seem weak.}

They agree to a strange option: try dating each other to see if Lee Jun's mind changes.

I liked Lee Jun's character a lot. He is the first person, both in books and TV, who openly expressed his "exact" emotions to the people involved. No mincing of words, no false hopes. Ha Ram was more easy going and childish as compared to Lee Jun. But, all the serious moments in 'Love Mate' came a bit too late, or rather, they were stuffed into the final two episodes.

Other than that, this is an okay watch. Not the best, but I really needed something short to complete my 52 Week Watch Challenge, to be honest.

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Time is an illusion.

I am someone who firmly believes in this headline, although I know that it's impossible for me to track back and change the very root of the concept of time and space.

Kai Duan, or Reset has been on my radar since last year. Being an avid fan of the time travel genre, I was particularly excited -- last year's First Love Again had been satisfying in delivering a believable story, although it's production was far from perfect.

Although it has a rather strange number of 15 episodes, a distinct change from the regular conventions of CDramaland that have an unspoken rule of dragging stories endlessly to fill 24 to 36 episodes and ruin the experience, it rarely disappoints.

Following a Groundhog Day like plot, Li Shi Qing, a young college student, is inadvertently pulled into a time loop after she dies in an explosion aboard Bus No. 45. In a desperate attempt to save someone from their fate and also get down from the bus, she yanks Xiao He Yun, a game developer, into the loop. Now with the added burden of being the prime suspects and getting chased by the police force, the duo search for a way to stop the explosion and terminate the loop.

Following the themes and background that are literal staples of any forms of entertainment involving time travel/time loop, the very succinct and clean execution of the plot is something that is particularly rare to find. Especially in Chinese Dramaland, where a deluge of dramas with absolutely little to no effort is being put behind them are produced aplenty.
While the story, particularly the time travel aspect, was far from perfect, the very basis of this drama's strength lies with the entire cast and characters. Except for a few of passengers in the bus, we get indepth backstories about everyone. The police officers, particularly Captain Zhang, was meticulously and excellently portrayed. The leading actors were right on par with the more experienced cast.

One minor fault with this drama might be Li Shi Qing's guardians' complete absence. And the final episode was satisfying, but also left me feeling discontended as there were a few unexplained topics that remained.

I will rate this a 9.0 for now, thanks to the writers' uncanny ability to make me tear up for everyone.

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A Deadly Game of Emotions.

It's strange that this drama didn't manage to capture me. While I immensely enjoyed the journey, I felt that there was something just "missing".

--- The plot, though popular as romance, has more than it seems. The political part of the drama was rushed, particularly at the beginning and I had to ask around to clear up some questions regarding that. (I try to skip palace politics and have watched only countable number of such shows.) I also had the drama on hold for two weeks, which might have affected the flow. But, I was able to sweep through the remaining few episodes and connected more to the characters. Majority of the plot, keeping aside the romance, revolves around power struggle between various states and princes. (I still don't know who Yang Shou was, even though I liked his character.) The leads themselves put their nation and family before everyone else.

--- In terms of acting, everyone delivered excellent performances. Ren Jia Lun was always a skilled actor for me, ever since I saw him in Under the Power and he lived upto my expectations as the Junior Prince of Nan Cheng. Shi Yi is one of the most convincing performances by Bai Lu, whose dramas have all unfortunately ended up in my dropped list due to various reasons. Even minor characters such as the four generals from the Western State; Li Zi Xing and Prince of Pingyin; were really memorable. (It was also a delight to see so many cast members from Under the Power together. Whenever Cui Feng payed respects to Zhou Shengcheng, I remembered Lu Yi and Xie Xiaoxiao from UTP bickering.)

--- The romance is one of the most impactful ones I've seen to date. Both Shiyi and Shifu knew what was going on even when neither of them openly acknowledged it. Their relationship was beautiful and painful to watch. No sweet words were exchanged, rather their subtle gestures and actions completely managed to melt the hearts of many viewers. I hope future CDramas can make more dramas with such relationships.

--- The costumes were really detailed. I loved everyone's outfits. One thing I felt odd was how tiny Taiji Palace looked, particularly when there were women dancing. It looked unexpectedly cramped. But, this doesn't look like a high budget project, but I can see that the production team did their best to make it look exquisite and beautiful.

--- The OST, unfortunately, completely went over my head. I noticed that two BGMs in particular were the same ones I had heard in Love and Redemption (2020).

I can say that it really is far better than a lot of short dramas I've seen from China and would recommend this to anyone looking for a short, beautiful drama with some good substance and characters. The trouble was, I just couldn't enjoy it as much as the others did.

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Humble, Yet Hauntingly Beautiful.

I came to know about the existence of this series after coming across the pilot episode, which already had amassed a whopping number of views – apparently it was already based on a widely popular novel with a huge number of fans, which sets the bar really high.

9.0 is an overblown score, but this is the best that the company had made in a while. It'll be much closer to 8 or 8.5/10. The 0.5 is for the characters.

Why did I begin this? It aired right after The Next Prince and the timing is convenient enough for me to follow throughout its run.

Well, well… Khemjira is a shocking surprise as it now sits right up there with dramas such as Not Me, Triage, Something in my Room and I Feel You Linger In The Air in my books.

It's also a heavily character driven story.
There is a high chance that one might not be able to connect to the story if the characters haven't caught up with them.
So, if you are looking for a logical, character driven, yet completely heartfelt and emotional drama, this one is for you.

I'll get started.

☆ When boiled down to the bones, Khemjira, to me, is one of those classic tales I’ve heard as a child -- young males in a family are bound to fall victim to a malevolent spirit's curse: none of them would live past the age of 21. And the women are bound to suffer illnesses, passing away before reaching old age.

And Khae knew this better than anyone else. In an attempt to save her son’s life, she names him Khemjira, hoping it would hide his identity as a male child. However, when she falls gravely ill and Khemjira starts to see the unnatural, she seeks help from Grandmaster Sek, who gives him an amulet for his protection.

15 years later, with only a month left till he turns 21, Khem realizes that his protection was failing after narrowly missing fatal blows. He confides in his happy-go-lucky friend Jettana, who decides to take him to his Master, the late Grandmaster Sek’s grandson, Pharan, a seemingly cold, young shaman with whom his fate had crossed in the past.

☆ First and foremost, there are a million ways in which this drama could go wrong - with only four characters permanently on screen, one single mystery and an established backstory, Khemjira could easily be dumbed down as boring and slow.

Is the drama slow at times? Yes.
Is the script powerful? 100%.
Is it a masterpiece? Definitely no.

To me, for a story to be solid, the plot need not have to be convoluted with twists and turns or a gazillion characters to keep one entertained.
I'm used to hearing stories like these when I was a kid, so being able to pull off 12 episodes of it while establishing the past storylines, relationships, friendships and flashbacks all into 50 minutes is no joke.

☆ We basically see Khem and his college friends visit the village for their semester break. Khem has the ulterior motive to get help from Pharan, but Pharan knows that dealing with someone else's karma is not something he should be doing. Jet and his newfound ‘friend’ Charn are invested in saving Khem from his inevitable future, but drawing all this out for 12 episodes takes skill.

(I'm kind of glad that The Next Prince was released first before Khemjira because the contrast in writing is clearly visible. That too, from the same Directors and company. I can imagine the wars that would've been waged had the reverse happened.)

Khemjira proves that flamboyance and thrills are not needed to convey a good story.
The plot has a solid direction that it was heading to. I never once felt that the 12 episodes were a waste even once.

☆ To me, the real heroes are the characters.
They were realistic, relatable and logical. It was one of those times that I've felt that I was going through a journey with them instead of watching them from the sidelines.

No story can be told well without well-fleshed out characters that aren’t air dropped into existence. Or maybe I’m telling this because I know people very similar to these college kids.
I can see people are surprised that this is a Domundi production as everyone seems to keep low expectations; a good script and well fleshed out lovable characters are all that is needed to elevate a drama to greater heights.

Starting off with the seemingly weak Khemjra, the namesake of the drama. I personally know someone who is very similar to him. Although always appearing as a smiling, caring and soft spoken boy, his backstory is extremely dark. He has only a month left to live; his mother had passed away and his father had chosen a life of ordination in hopes of prolonging their son’s life.

There are moments in the drama where his emotions explode, but it’s evident that it is solely not because of his crush on his potential savior.
Namping plays the role to a tee - Khemjira might be outwardly weak, but he was mentally, one of the strongest. And perhaps one of the most empathetic characters I've seen onscreen.

To balance for his soft and slow nature is his best friend, Jet. A sprightly young man with carpe diem as his motto, his shenanigans and fanboy behaviour is one to watch. While he sees romance in everything, Charn, a psychology student, exists to counteract and provide a rational view of matters.
This perfect balance of both supporting characters along with Khem provide a wholesome experience.
Both Jet and Charn were the comedic relief of the rather bleak story and it was absolutely hilarious.
Their friendship is relatable, lively and realistic. It is what makes this drama a worthy watch.
No character is left discarded and no storylines seem unfinished.

There is Pharan. Following his grandfather's footsteps, he takes on the role of the powerful shaman of the village, respected by everyone regardless of their age. But, the struggles he had witnessed on his path towards it has made him cold and aloof. He is initially both amused and enraged by Khem's antics, and while I did feel to whack him at times, he slowly grew on me.
He was the ‘mystery' of the show. And the writers cleverly utilised it, taking the smart route, introducing characters who have already established their position in his life, through which we get to know him little by little via flashbacks at the beginning of each episode.

Honestly, I felt to laugh whenever he appeared with sunglasses on.

☆ And last, but never the least is Rampheung, the villain of the story. Her existence and presence is what makes the drama fall into the ‘horror’ genre. But, the manner in which her tale is revealed, all the while taking sweet time to seep her icy intent into the episodes cast a constant shadow throughout it. This is where the scriptwriter won.
She is not evil for the sake of it — her backstory, empathy, grief and rage all had explanations. I couldn't truly hate her. Green, the actress kicked the ball out of the park with her performance.

Every single one of the cast members were perfect for the role. I can't find a single thing to complain about.


☆ Relationships:

The very backbone of this series. The one that I find memorable is Khem's relationship with his parents. Although it's a very sad one, and easily overlooked, it was done with care and thought – we begin the tale with them. And it's only fair that we end it with them.
Khem was in constant touch with his family all through the series. His parents’ conversation in EP2 was touching, yet shed light on the fact of how tragic Khem's life truly was.
Master (Pharan) and his relationship with his mother in particular influenced his actions and decisions till the very end.

The next are the ‘ships’.
Or rather romantic relationships. Though, I did not expect it to have too many intense moments, considering how dark the atmosphere was, the writers and characters surprised me.

I don't board any ship, but oh boy, the writers knew what they were scrawling because the development of each one of them was convincing and realistic.

Initially, Khem is enamoured by Master's good looks and admits that he simply has a crush on him; it takes him one month to break down his icy barriers. Master is initially surprised and amused by Khem's acts of service to get on his good side, but as he realizes that beyond their past lives and the curse, he was a genuinely good soul, he begins to grudgingly admit that he was fighting a losing battle.
It was slow burn at it's finest, yet hit all the marks without being cheesy.

The relationship between Master, the villagers and Yai Si were some of the other golden treasures of this show.

Jet and Charn were the abrupt couple, but never once did I feel that they were out of character. The progress of their relationship was well balanced and emotional, may it be as Jin and Da or Jet and Charn.

☆ The friendship between Jet and Khem is noteworthy because it's ultimately the one which led Khemjira to meet Master. This theme of friendship and found family persists throughout the entire series, never losing focus.
Then there is Khachen. I don't fan girl over actors, but I cheered when Net came on screen because I felt sorry for him as Prince Calvin.

☆ The overall production is rather subdued without flamboyance. Maybe because the entire production is more on the spiritual side of matters? But, it fits well with the theme.

☆ OST:
Mantra sung by Keng Harit in one of the most beautiful melodious songs I've ever heard in my life. I don't even listen to melodies or slow songs, and this one managed to impress me. (The last one that caught my attention was I Trust You by Daou Pittaya for The Next Prince.)

As for the opening… honestly, I skip it all the time because everything reminds me of going to a temple. Heck, the sound of the conch is the first thing I used to hear when I used to wake up at 5 in the morning.

☆ Another cold prickly I felt was that we didn't get to see Master's side of his feelings for Khem. The plot took over most of the screen time and we got to see only Khem's slow and inevitable fall. Master had a lot going on aside from the romance aspect and I personally felt that providing a couple of minutes for it would've been fine. It felt abrupt; some of the scenes.
I'm not complaining, though. It also might be because his character is restrained.
Another thing? The plot does get intermixed and sort of loses focus around EP4 or EP5. The romance aspect will inevitably appear bland if conveyed this way on paper, but the performances filled in the gaps. Or atleast attempted to.

☆ [I might be a bit biased in my rating as I watched this during certain turbulent times. And after the Next Prince, this one is leaps and bounds above it.]
Some random stuff that I'm writing down just to remember this drama by: The first thing that came to my mind while I watched EP1 was how my mother would never be able to watch Khemjira.

She grew up frequenting and studying in temples, enjoying temple fairs and used to speak about how she had witnessed possessions in real time to the point that it scared and disturbed even at the slightest mention of the unnatural. She also used to say how parents used to ask kids to not visit homes where young mothers or children had passed away. Seeing Master exorcising a lady in EP1 reminded me of that.


And as someone who is currently living in a location steeped in ancient rituals and beliefs, this drama speaks to me.
We literally have festivals where people draw designs, fast for days and summon deities.
Even Rampheung's story is similar to ancient legends that I heard when I was a kid. No ghost is simply malevolent in many of those stories.

Another thing? There are wild hogs where I live, so most of us are asked to watch out for hogs all the time, too. I found that scene with Jet and Charn funny because of this and it also brought a touch of nostalgia.

☆ I also wonder how good the actual novel was. I suspect that the original story was quite solid or maybe the scriptwriters were talented and had a vision in mind.
Domundi series often begin strong, then fall to aimless wandering plotlines and the only one that I truly liked was Your Sky as it delivered exactly what it was advertised as.
This series set the bar high for DMD stories in general.
Now, my attention is on Love Upon A Time, as it too, is adapted from a novel. Though, I'll keep my hopes low.

I feel like I'm bidding farewell to a friend, which this drama truly had been to me since August. It made the dark times brighter and brought about a strange sense of nostalgia, happiness and sheer joy. It was well written, acted and I applaud each and everyone behind the scenes for creating this.

I, for one, am definitely sure that Khemjira will indeed survive, for a long time in my memory.

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"The Air Around You."

I dropped this drama back in November 2024, but for some reason, decided to pick it back up as Nagase Ren's performance in another drama caught my attention. Writing a review for dramas such as this is difficult, not just because of the very controversial subject matter, but because getting to understand the characters play an integral role in how you view such a situation in general. I suggest taking a direct dive to see whether it suits your taste.

Kojima Toru, a medical student accidentally stumbles upon Asano Shifumi, a married and well established architect, whilst on his way to college. Her kind nature coupled with her pleasant aura soon attracts him and he finds excuses to see her again, unexpectedly learning that both of their interests and thoughts overlap. Toru is finally happy to have met someone who understands him on a deeper level, helping him escape from his feeling of constant loneliness. However, Asano Shifumi knows the reality of her life.
His illicit escapade serves as a game for his childhood friend and roommate, Ohara Koji, who takes it as a challenge to seduce the mother of the girl he tutors.

My Thoughts? I don't condone or encourage such things, but I could understand why both Toru and Shifumi fell for each other. Moreover, Shifumi was no idiot. She knew where her and Toru's future lay. Her excuses are useless in the eyes of the society. For both of them, meeting each other gave them the impetus to go forth with their lives. There is a scene where Shifumi ponders as to what attracts a person to another. She describes "the air" around them was what it was. Well, sad truth -- such a version of attraction is very, very rare to find. This is also one of my favorite lines in the entire drama. There was something about their relationship that went beyond the superficial aspect. It exists, but the sense of ease whenever they had a conversation felt natural. Toru might be a boring character when put up with someone like Koji, but he was an instant favorite of mine.

As for Koji? The end of the drama clearly explains why his relationship with Kimiko-san was not my cup of tea, in spite of several viewers preferring them over the leads. Well, both the guys deserved a whack on the head as they themselves eventually admit.

Tokyo Tower meddled with my thoughts well. So, it definitely is a solid 8 from me.

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Beautiful and Realistic.

I directly began the director's cut without watching the drama and here are a few if my jumbled thoughts. This movie is better to be "felt" than read as words don't serve justice to the experience of witnessing Akira and Yuki's journey.

☆ With a very less crowded cast, Life Sejou No Bokora brings out the beautiful chemistry between Yuki and Akira. We spent 80% of the story with them. Each step of their journey is catalogued smoothly. The time skips were spot on. Not to mention, the cast including the few supporting characters delivered excellent performances.

☆ It brought out issues about parents' expectations about their children and the society's view on what's considered normal. I'm one of the few who dares to go against the tide and seeing such a portrayal was satisfying. I will strive to be like Akira's older sister.

☆ I particularly loved how the lead actors brought their characters to life. Pretty sure I won't be forgetting Yuki's radiant smile anymore. I liked the internal conflicts of Akira. (There were several scenes involving the sun and light that were beautifully shot with the two of them.)

☆ Despite all that, there was a moment that I almost came to dislike a character. The pacing after around an hour seemed really quick. The low rewatch score is cause I almost never rewatch movies.

All in all, Japan has an uncanny talent in making very simple productions appear fulfilling. And this is one of the best simple and heartwarming stories I've watched. My review sucks, but I'd suggest that you dive directly into the movie without hesitation!

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All style, no substance.

I began this due to the costumes and CGI, which seemed much more creative than usual. And yes, they did go all out because this one of the most beautifully made xianxias I've watched in CDramaland.
I've never watched the donghua or heard about the source material. Moreover, the cast, even the supporting characters are well known for their own works.

The summary is exactly as the MDL page. I'm not exactly the best person to talk to about scriptwriting and directing, but for once, I could actually see that something was just missing with the whole plot.

My major issue, and the reason why I'm dropping this, is because I do not actually care about the leading characters, particularly Dongfang Yue Chu and Tushan Hong Hong.
Heck, even the villains are two dimensional to me. (At one point, it seemed as if someone was forcing me to accept their indestructibility and fear them, but I did not care about their scenes or strategy.)
It's an endless cycle of rinse and repeat upto EP19.

I didn't care much about the Spirit Kingdom arc because it was pretty much ‘served’ on a plate because the plot required it. I didn't connect to Bu Tai's and Shi Kuan's love story.
This drama could easily wrap up in a minimum 24 episodes if someone wrote a shorter, yet stronger script. FSM drives the viewer around in circles with the same conversations and fights on repeat.


It does get better after Spirit Kingdom and the initial enemy, but I lost all connection to the characters and nothing manages to capture my attention, save for a few conversations between the Tushan sisters and maybe A’ Lai.

About A’ Lai. He was introduced out of nowhere and still has mysteries shrouding him, which is why I'm curious about his character. His romance is pleasant to watch, too – Tushan Ya Ya is the opposite of his calm and composed personality and I love their banter, even though it's not earth-shattering or as tumultous as the supposed love story of Hong Hong and Yue Chu, which I frankly don't care about.
If it wasn't for them, I would've easily dropped this.

About acting… Someone mentioned how Yang Mi had one expression at the beginning, but now? Either the directing or script was very poor because there is not a single scene of hers I find particularly memorable save for a very few close up shots of her eyes. I understand that she is the Chief, but I've seen colder characters depicted better than this.
Dongfang Yue Chu… I'm sure that Gong Jun gave his best shot with what was given to him, but to be honest, I don't find him much memorable.
I didn't care about their romantic progress, either.

The fight scenes… the leading characters’ fight scenes are boring. The one scene I do remember is that one in EP15 or EP16, that too, because of the song 回还 by UNEKO being played as the BGM.
But, the scene itself (which should be a heart stopping moment) was offscreen that I had to rewind to see if I've missed something. Plenty of dramas don't shy away from bloodshed and pain, even if not directly portrayed.

A drama from last year had a very similar scene and it got trashed for being ‘too’ fake, but at least the actor performing the scene had expressions which conveyed the intensity of the moment perfectly.

The OST does have beautiful songs, but the background score as a whole is forgettable and unimpressive. Even poorly written dramas can be hits if the music manages to enchant us.
These two reasons might be why I'm impatient with the pacing.
6.5 - 7/10 -- I prioritize characters and a lot, and this one falls far off the mark. For a drama that has two other stories lined up and a hypeworthy cast, this just wasn't it for me.

Once again, the story and the editing does get a lot better. [It shifts to the human realm by EP19, but I found myself bunny hopping through scenes instead of watching it as a whole.]
But, they raised the stakes far too late for me to be interested. As far as I had watched, it was aesthetically pleasing, but tragically snooze worthy.

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Butterflied Lovers.

Korean dramas are still one of the top countries when it comes to capability to produce well thought out, and filler-less dramas that can keep you immersed into the story without being overdone.

I started the Story Park's Marriage Contract on a whim - it had history, reincarnation with time travel as an added bonus. Also, I had seen both Lee Se Young and Bae In Hyuk's performances in previous dramas.
The only ‘12 episodes’ format was another relief.

Park Yeon Woo, a sprightly daughter of a Minister evades marriage and does what she loves the most: designing and selling garments that where too modern to handle. When news of this breaks out and chaos ensues, her parents marry her off to Kang Tae Ha, a rumoured old bachelor whom no one wanted. Yeon Woo was no stranger to Tae Ha as they had met before. But, at the night of their wedding, he reveals that his weak heart might leave her a widow and proposes divorce. He dies the very night.
Yeon Woo accepts her fate, but things take a mysterious turn when she is kidnapped and thrown into a well at her home… and re- emerges 200 years into the future.

What confuses her is that her deceased husband was very much alive, albeit being styled weirdly. The modern Kang Tae Ha decides to contractually marry the ‘lunatic woman’ in a split second decision after his plans go awry in order to appease his grandfather.
Yeon Woo soon runs into many modern versions of the people of her past and gets embroiled in the power play of the SH Company.


SOPMC is half makjang and half historical with romance as an integral aspect. The story itself becomes ‘fill-in-the-blanks’ in the last historical bit, but the entire set up and background was well established since the beginning, so I did not mind this much.

I'm not as familiar with KDrama actors as I'm one of those picky watchers, but Lee Se Young is definitely on my watch list. She manages to pull off both comedy and tragedy with ease. Bae In Hyuk was no exception, particularly in the latter half. One scene in episode 11 was particularly striking. And he was highly convincing in portraying the past and present versions that at times they appeared to be two different characters.
Sa Wol, Yoon Woo’s companion/maid and the secretary Mr. Hong were another hilarious duo who lightened the overall darkness surrounding the leading couple.

I even liked Tae Min, Tae Ha's stepbrother.
Ms. Min, though meant to be portrayed as villain, made me curious about where her grudges stem from. I was glad that this was not brushed up easily and all the puzzle pieces actually fell into place without appearing as a deux ex machina or plot armoured.

The romance was neat and natural without being overly dramatic and mushy. I must say, did an excellent job portraying both the historical as well as modern versions of Tae Ha.

I don't think I'll rewatch this anytime soon. But, it's definitely good for a quick and enjoyable watch.

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"Into the Abyss."

The Devil Judge was hyped up a lot during its initial run and I only got around to watching it in 2023. The one aspect of it that makes it distinct from others I've seen is how well written and acted the characters were. As for the others… I'll get to them.

Revolving around the shady schemes set up by politicians under the disguise of goodwill in a dystopian society, the Devil Judge follows the eccentric judge Kang Yo Han, as he slowly plots their downfall. And the words of law that restrain him don't stand a chance. When a Live Court show is set up with him as the presiding judge, the public has a chance to decide the fate of the perpetrators. But, how will he fight against power and bring down the wrong doers to their knees?

Characters:

Kang Yo Han is THE deal and I wouldn't mind watching 16 episodes of his story alone. Complex, and ruthless. The word 'Justice' easily slips off our tongues, yet we see criminals get away with their crimes.
Yo Han makes pivotal decisions and dubious moves. By the end of EP3 or EP4, I began to slowly believe his intentions.
It was my first time watching Ji Sung, but he kicked the ball off the park with his performance. Will definitely be watching his other works.
I loved his hate-love attitude with Elijah. Both the actors captured their bond perfectly.

Yo Han was not somebody to mess with. It was thrilling to watch him blow up expectations and play with fire. His morales or lack of them thereof does not go unquestioned. Meet Kim Ga On, who plays this part.

Park Jin Young did his best with what he was given for sure, but I did not trust that guy till the very final episode. He might've been well written, so much that he managed to make it to the most idiotic characters I've met in my life list. I am not saying that he should've been complex or on par with Yo Han, but he couldn't even hold a candle against him.
If a character is written to be inexperienced, it must be done convincingly so. His family had fallen victims to a conman and he still manages to believe everyone. That too, he wildly jumps into situations without thinking twice or getting help. He was a grown up, yet he wavers in making every decision. He redeems himself, but all that was stuffed into one single episode.

The second character who was ill utilized was his best friend/love interest Soo Hyun. For a detective who graduated with magna cum laude, she fails spectacularly when it comes to being practical. Her entire arc was spent wasting on an investigation that seemed to be more inclined to soothe her personal vendetta against Kang Yo Han. Which was useless as more dangerous incidents kept happening and not once did she try to raise a finger or investigate the corrupt officials. She spent her whole free time on the church incident which makes no sense since her own friend Ga On told her that Yo Han never harmed him. She hides the fact that it was Yo Han who helped save a life. What was that for? The other thing which irked me was how she dove headfirst into situations without backup.

Sun Ah was a decisive villain with a whole plan. She had my sympathy as well as my hate. Sympathy due to her circumstances and hate for her shameless greed for power and validation. The only person whom she truly considered and respected as an enemy was Yo Han. I did think that her character was playing the "feigned innocence" demeanor a bit too over the top. But, the actress was insane with her performance. Particularly the final episode.

Shout out to Cha Kyung Hee, the spectacled director and K – they have my respect, limited screen time or not.

Others seemed to be written as their thoughts depicted them to be: clowns. But, highly entertaining clowns.

The OST was apt, not too bright, but intriguing enough. Nightmare by Sondia is my favorite one.

The last episode was too crowded. So many scenes that required an emotional build up were stuffed into one and a half hours. Plus, remove Ga On's stupidity and this drama would've wrapped up by EP13 or EP14.
All in all, it's definitely a worthy watch. There are moments where it loses it's momentum, but, as a whole, it's a 'don't miss it'.

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“Liking Boys is Innate.”

That’s it. This is the explanation that most people fail to understand. I'd suggest this movie to anyone who has just begun to step into the world of BL as I've several people cheer over gay people portrayed in media, yet say that they are against LGBTQ+, which is inhumane.
I do not know how much Taiwan has changed in the past few years, but this one was brutal to watch. This is more of a slice-of-life-amidst-crisis kind of movie, so if you are expecting some "wholesome" story with a neat ending a strong plotline... let's just say gear up.

Narrated to the Priest of their school by a boy, A-Han, the love story between him and a delinquent student Birdy, is slowly revealed. However, in times when homosexuality is considered a sin, how will the two manage to prove that their love was worth it?
I’ve decided that “Bestfriends to lovers” trope is one that I hate, but still torture myself with cause these kind of stories if portrayed well, manages to convey emotions like a punch in the gut.

It was difficult to watch for a number of reasons. There is a point in the movie where we see the gradual shift in its tone as both the boys try to “normalize” their lives, then there are the frequent inner conflicts of the characters that we feel through the screen, particularly due to the outstanding performance by both the leading actors.
I think the final scene of them as teenagers was the nail on the coffin for me. There are questions raised and Morales challenged, which is necessary.
The main song “Your Name Engraved Herein” was beautiful to listen to.
There were intense "NC" scenes that were a bit difficult for me to watch. But, kudos to the actors for being able to depict such intense emotions seamlessly.
Definitely worthy of a watch, even if it hurts you.

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Lovesickness At Its Finest.

I began this as a filler to watch Luo Yunxi in a normal piece of entertainment where he isn't spitting blood or in pain. And holy... I will not recommend this movie to anyone. Perhaps its directed particularly to a certain audience who have actually gone through such emotional turmoil, but unfortunately, I do not fall into that category.

Fang Fang, who has always had a long crush on her childhood friend Guo Yang, decides to pursue him regardless of what awaits. She gets a whole makeover after her Gaokao and finally gets together with him... Only to discover that she had grown excessively obsessed about him.

Boy... the girl Fang Fang was downright scary. The whole movie is told from her point of view, which slightly made me sympathize with her actions, but as a whole, she suffered from such a severe case of lovesickness that it made me glad that I had never been in love. Even the breakdowns in their relationship were never "real", but more due to the female lead's inability to communicate and her wild expectations.
Guo Yang was the regular popular music guy who liked her, but he was also someone who liked to put peoples' priorities over himself and genuinely enjoyed spending time with his friends. We don't see almost anything from his point of view, so I can't speak much about his character.

The lead actors were excellent, though. Well... they managed to give the "kids" vibes really well.
Music was almost non-existent, except for Guo Yang singing and a few mellow piano tunes sprinkled here and there. But, it fits the lonely theme of the story.

On a side note, I was surprised by some of the "Not for Children" scenes. Did not expect to see that in a Chinese Movie.

Overall, a skippable watch.

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