Best BL of 2023

Production quality, acting, script is all top notch! This is such a beautiful story and they did not only focus on giving the main characters purpose and reason, they also took their time to shape the side characters. It felt so real. Although the time travel concept is nothing new, they did use their own twists and overlapping tricks which made it all look more well-rounded.
I was confused at the ending. But since I found out there will be a second season, I will give it the benefit of the doubt that this is just part of the bigger picture, since the rest of the show was so well thought-out. The only reason I didn't give it a full 10, is because I generally don't enjoy dramas as much in the time he travelled to. I am looking forward to the second season and I can only recommend this show to anyone interested in a heartfelt Bl romance.

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Boring Mess

It was a boring mess. I never warmed up to the ML and I preferred Si Yeol much over him. The mystery part was way over the top in the first half of the drama. It was obvious what the writers wanted you to believe - so many obvious (and weird) red herrings. The FL was bland with no other characteristics than being kind.
For the first half, it felt like the writers added the romance as an afterthought while in the second half, they completely threw any mystery out of the window. Even with the mystery it was bland but without it, there was nothing to it anymore.
While it was very mid and hollow throughout, I was hoping that at least the ending would be satisfying but it was disappointing. Important motives were changed, characters blamed other characters for stuff that doesn't make sense and in the end, I had the feeling they could've just completely left ML out of the story and it would've had the same outcome.
I'm really disappointed in the story writing but the soundtrack, colours and production quality was really good. Wish they would've casted actors with more chemistry and hired better scriptwriters. Missed opportunity because the idea has potential.

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A bit of a feverdream

First things first: production and writing of this show is a mess. The first 3/4 of this show are nothing like the last part, it's like they are separate shows. And although I'm usually bored by court intrigues, I would've preferred that over this fantasy attempt that made my brain cells rot. Literally nothing made sense (I mean logic-wise, not the fantasy aspect) and at some points, the show felt like a fever dream. FL's actress was also quite bad. She is the kind of actress who needs to look pretty - she did not really cry but did this aesthetic crying which is so cringy to watch.
But in the beginning, I won't lie, this show had me hooked like meth for some reason. I could not stop watching and I liked that the relationship felt like how a married couple would behave. They did love each other and all misunderstandings were resolved quite fast, so you didn't have to suffer for too long.

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Way too long

The best part of this whole drama was Gwi and the 2nd FL. Both of them were so interesting and I wish, WISH they would've explored Gwi's backstory more because he was by far the most interesting character. While FL was already quite mid in the beginning, she quickly became annoying with her being constantly useless and a burden. At some point I couldn't stand her face anymore which always looked like she is about to cry and skipped most of her scenes - even the romance scenes. It says a lot when the lead couple are the least likeable characters in a show because they are just so damn weak and annoying. Gwi really saved the show for me - admittedly also because his visuals were just on fire.
The story itself was fine, it was just dragged for way too long. This whole drama would've worked with half as many episodes. Unlike other people have said, I don't think the show looks cheap. It has its moments but otherwise it's fine honestly. The bigger issue is by far the drama length and main leads.

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Not a very special drama

Cliché amnesia and cross-dressing plot line. The only thing that made this drama stand out somewhat is that FL is actually very smart and she had some really badass moments that I really enjoyed.
Otherwise, it was nothing really special. The actress of the villain was not good, her scenes annoyed me. Not because her character was annoying (this as well) but because her acting was not great. And I originally really didn't want to comment on this, but I had to look at the lipfillers of ML the whole time, it was quite distracting... And there was some serious second lead syndrome for me. He was just so non-toxic and charming, it was quite refreshing.

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Painful experience

No drama ever stressed me out as much as this one. Not because it was so beautifully written or the characters who I liked were going through hardships - no. The exact opposite. It started out okay, with the FL being your typical 2010ish lead (bubbly, oblivious and dumb - bordering on mental retardation) and ML being this ice-cold guy. And although ML was extremely unlikeable in the beginning, he got better. But every other character - oh god, I find no words. Literally every character made me mad because they were so stupid, hypocritical, greedy and unlikeable. By the way, I have no idea how people developed second lead syndrome here, his whole nice guy attitude made my blood boil so much. If you intent to watch it and not almost cry out of disbelief at the stupidity and out of frustration, I recommend to completely skip episode 22. By the way, whoever decided to make this show 24 episodes long needs to go to prison.
Actually, the show was quite okay and in my opinion a much better show than Boys over Flowers (they kind of have a similar vibe) until the last few episodes when they, for whatever reason, decided to torture the watcher. When ML didn't even become king in the end, I almost threw something at my laptop. Like man - what did I even watch this whole fight for the crown bs for? The romance of the main couple was very cute and the only thing that kept me watching.
Overall, this review mainly serves the selfish attempt at self-therapy after this stressful experience I went through.

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Strong start, disappointing rest

The idea is similar to Scarlet Heart Ryeo (which is intentional) but is not even close to be on the same level. The worst mistake this drama made is disappointing me. It started out very promising; the FL was (relatively) smart, the romance between the leads was cute and funny, and the story had its own twist.
But then, the FL just started to get dumber and dumber. For some reason the three main princes were obsessed with her until the end, the "conflicts" oftentimes didn't make any sense and the characters were so easily manipulated for people who should be used to court intrigues. Even the characters who were smart in the beginning and were able to look through manipulation just went dumb and hollow towards the middle/end.
The main leads disappointed me so much as well. There was so much chemistry and romance in the beginning but they started to give second lead vibes in the middle part and it only got worse. In the end, I think the writers realised who their story even was about and tried to save it again but no chance. They felt like support roles in their own love story. Even the extremely annoying and morally disgusting side couple got more character development than them.
But I'll give the second lead actress that I really hated her character with a passion. Great acting from her part.
Overall, quite disappointing, especially with such a promising start. And also quite vain, if I'm being honest, it just ran around in circles.

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Better with each episode

The strongest point of this drama is by far the acting of the lead actors, especially Lee Joon Gi. When he broke down and whenever it got emotional, he aced those scenes and they were the best of all. I would argue that those scenes are what made the drama as successful. Because although the plot had some individual twists, the idea itself is nothing new. This is why it started a bit bland and mid but got better with each episode. But sometimes it was a bit slow. I also think that the whole memory loss plot line of the last episode could've been cut out. I can kind of understand why it was there, but it dragged the drama for another episode, which it did not need. But I loved the last scene and it was what I was looking forward to. The music was also great, especially during intense scenes, I could really feel the character's emotions.

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Very 2015

It's more comedy than the premise lets on. While it also embraces deep aspects of trauma beautifully, it took a while to get there. The first 7 episodes were a chore to watch and I'm just glad I stuck through that. The FL screamed a lot and her acting was generally really annoying. Except for some scenes, I was not a fan. The ML on the other hand did a great job of acting out multiple personalities and the emotional scenes were amazing!
One part of the story that really bothered me, was the strong pseudo-incestrous touch between FL and her brother and also ML. It was really not necessary and made me cringe a lot at times.
I loved how in the end, everything came together and the plot twist of the show was great. I really did not see it coming.

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Objectively a 10

It's really nice to watch something so different and get a peak into the life and mind of people with autism. I can see all the research that has gone into this drama and the actress did a phenomenal job! I was awed at her mannerisms with her whole body - from the way her eyes avoided eye contact to the way she carried herself. Other than that, the drama addressed different problems in a very tactful manner: from prejudice against people with mental disorders to corruption in the legal system. All the while, I could not really hate any character. Every character had their own twist and I honestly love that there was no "big bad evil villainess" character, because I honestly get tired of that. The whale/dolphin animations were also really well made and it was fun to learn some off-topic whale facts.
The only reason I did not give a full 10 is because although the drama itself is great, it is not completely my taste. But I would argue that objectively, it would be a 10.

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Taiwanese hit

Generally speaking, Taiwanese dramas are usually either a big hit or miss for me. And this one was a hit. Unfortunately, the drama's title does not serve it justice, as it suggests some very superficial and cheap comedy content. Although it does give a lot of comedic moments, it is blended well together with the mystery aspect. You never feel like it currently is too lighthearted or too heavy, since it finds the perfect timing for both. I loved the bromance between ML and the medical student. Perhaps I'm a bit biased, but I would've loved or at least encouraged some BL here :p But even "just" as friends, they give you a lot of cute and funny moments and they are a joy to watch.
The only downside, but that's just a personal preference, I would've preferred some romance somewhere. But as I said, it also works well with only friendship and still is a really nice experience.

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Review for both seasons

First, I have to mention that I rated the first season 8/10 and the second 6.5/10. The first season has all the classic romcom aspects: love triangle, lots of comedy and romance. It's a quick watch and so much fun. The second season on the other hand was a bit more bland compared to that. They dived a bit more into the political aspect but still only on a quite superficial matter. There was no real conflict for the leads anymore and I think that's when I realised that they actually don't have a lot of chemistry and ML acting like a log all the time gets tiring. I loved the light-heartedness and the drama not taking itself too seriously, but the ending was complete nonsense if we're being honest.
The biggest negative point: the sound management. Whoever was sound director for this drama needs to get fired. It was ridiculous how much the quality changed even within one scene and don't let me get started on sound effects.
What seriously saved and improved the whole drama was FL's acting. Zhao Lu Si is just such a fun comedy actress with such a catching laugh. If it weren't for her, I think the drama would've only been half as good.

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A drama like no other

It's a drama like no other. It's unique and it's fast paced. You certainly don't get bored and the story is extremely unpredictable. That is both its greatest strength and weakness. It really keeps you on your toes but since it's constantly fast-paced, it also tires you out. I needed several breaks - not because it's bad but because there was so much happening that I needed to recharge. Also heads up, because this drama will also require some brainpower for you to understand why and what is happening, so it's not something you should watch on the side. I saw many people being confused and dropping/disliking the drama because of that. Many perceived "plot holes" actually make sense when you pay enough attention. Not to say that there are no plot holes whatsoever, but it's not nearly as bad as some people claim.
I'm extremely conflicted on the romance. It happened extremely fast (and I honestly didn't understand why he fell that hard) and these romantic moments seemed quite unfitting in certain moments. The ending also left me feeling conflicted.
But overall, it's so unique and different from any other drama that it's definitely worth a watch.

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Deserves a lot more recognition!

This is a great drama that I can't believe everyone is sleeping on! I love modern Korea royalty interpretations. The story - although it does have several clichés - is very original in the way it is put together. You constantly know where the story is going and it keeps you on you toes. I love that in dramas. The second I ask myself while watching a drama "Okay, where is all this going?" it's loosing me. But not here. The character development of ML was amazing. He was so unlikeable in the beginning but became my favourite character of the drama. Also FL being badass and being able to save herself was extremely satisfying to watch while not loosing her femininity.
I do have some mild criticism concerning the acting of the foreigners (still don't get why they couldn't get better actors), the villain acted like such a clown in the beginning, the "cute" acting of FL was not good and the portrayal of North Korea did seem quite unrealistic at times. But I can excuse some of these points due to the drama being from 2012 - dramas just weren't as sophisticated back then.
But please don't let these points stop you from watching the drama - it's great and deserves a lot more recognition!

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