to be frank, i dived in this drama full force when i saw the feeds raving about im si wan. what a surprise it was for me to have my whole heart whipped not just for im si wan but for the whole cast and the characters they portray.

you may wonder if this is just another cheesy romance with some love triangle thrown in. well.... it's not. you have much more in store as you are presented with characters working their way around in life.

you have a female lead that values her self more but not in a selfish sense. she is a character that went through tough times and knows her worth. she is not whiny or overboard but she stands up for herself. the male lead is a sight to see as you see him go against his horrible father, wholeheartedly helps his friend from getting bullied and supports him in his recovery and full on knows what's right and what's wrong. two individuals who have different way of living and when together, they are the best duo you can find. this couple is straightforward and doesn't go round in circles about how they feel. when shit hits the fan, they actually talk about it.

the second couple is just as refreshing. sure... seo dan ah may seem too much at first. with how messed up her family situation was and having the mentality that nice things don't last long, we see her debating on her relationship with yeong hwa. her longing for liking something is overshadowed by her strong personality. yeong hwa is perfect for her as he may seem outgoing and fun but when pushed to the limits, he can be stubborn.

what i particularly like in this drama is how chill this feels. you have seon gyeom's dad being a whole ass prick but then you see the main leads have pure love for each other so everything is right in the world again. the chemistry of every single character in this drama is hella amazing. heck, even dan oh and mi joo have amazing chemistry together. it's almost like watching a square relationship but it's peaceful and not overwhelming.

i appreciate the gay character of yeong hwa's friend. it's good that they're opening a conversation. seeing seo dan oh apologise and the bromance with yeong hwa not broken had me clapping all the way. i also appreciate the asexual character that is mi joo's friend. such representations says a lot and i'm happy they're done well.

what else did i like?
-the amazing ost
-badass female characters
-the movie bits
-the cinematography
-aesthetics

overall, this is a drama that i treasure with its refreshing characters and hilarious moments. the ending itself was nicely wrapped up (besides the trashy dad) and it goes to show that everyone involved in this put a lot of effort. i hope to see more kdramas done in such a way.

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in summary, this is a fluffy drama that could've done well without the gangsters debt plot that didn't do anything to the relationship between the main leads.

i was actually enjoying this for like five episodes because everything was cute, sunshine and rainbows with just a tad bit of angst sprinkled in there. it's nice to shut your brain off for a short period of time and this was the perfect moment to do that.

the romance was pretty underwhelming ngl... it was just the usual cliché scenes where the leads have convenient moments where they're on top of each other on the bed or the "oH i suddenly lost balance uh oH he caught me by my waist"
is it cute? yes. did i like it? yes. but is there more to their romance than just them teasing each other and suddenly falling in love for some reason? idk.

but like i said.... this is just a non complicated fluffy drama anD it could've been just that!
buT No they had to insert these gangsters that literally didn't do anything to the main leads' story... it was there for the tension and that's just it
ya know what would've made a good angsty bit? if they focused on jinwon and his past with his dad... so it'll affect his running practices and it'll also create an emo convo between the main leads... that would've been a good scene of the two learning about each other

jinwon's character was honestly dull as heck... i do like me some tsunderes but danggg that scene of him pushing that carton of milk causing it to spill on the floor pissed me off.... dude ya do know sangha spends everyday delivering milk to make a living and you are aSKing him why he does what he does and then waste that carton of milk???? boi you ungrateful af i would've left your ass right then and there

it made no sense why sangha didn't talk to jinwon after the marathon? i don't understand at all. please explain it to me like i'm 5 because i fail to comprehend why after sangha wanting to be by jinwon's side and now that he's finally done with his debt issue, he changed his door password and stopped interacting with jinwon?

okay last episode.... why did jinwon slap/punch sangha? bruh i get that some peeps get aggressive with cute stuff but geez chill
they should've cut that part out and left it with last minutes of that scene with them being cute sigh...

the ending scene lmaooo it was cringeworthy it almost felt like it could've been an ad for a shoe company

if you're watching this, just remember this is nothing out of the extraordinary. it's simple. it's cute. it's what it is.

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when i tell y'all that this delivered, i swear on everything that i love that this drama delivered.

even if you don't carry that much knowledge about medical terms and abbreviations, this drama will be sure to give you lots of emotions. it felt hella good to see that it wasn't very centered on just one or two characters. everyone was given equal screen time and honestly it felt whole or complete? it's jusT so satisfying to see a natural bond of all these characters and they definitely chose the right cast for this.

the situations shown here were quite close to reality and it definitely tugged at my heartstrings seeing as to how the probability of things going well are sometimes less likely and it made me think of real life doctors and nurses who go through these scenarios... families anticipating the results...

one more thing i liked from this is that it felt pretty balanced. it wasn't too dramatic but it also didn't feel too comedic or ridiculous. it just felt right.

p.s. the songs are bops too

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one heck of a ride

sweet home is a drama that didn't fail to hit the right spots in terms of action, characters with depth, comical moments and with all these aspects, you have chills running down your spine when you ask, "what is it to be human? when do we stop being human? are we really all just monsters pretending to be human?"

what i absolutely loved about this drama is that all the characters are not perfect. some of them may seem outlandish at first but a few episodes later the viewer is given an understanding of the underlying reasons behind their actions. you have characters who may seem well put together but are just trying their best to survive by burying unwanted memories. sure, they make mistakes. what's amazing is the other characters showing support and care because they all want to make it out alive together.

to say i didn't cry is a lie. the emotions this show radiates is extraordinarily wonderful. it may be blood (cdramas are quaking) and gore but the friendships portrayed are beautiful that you can't help your heart from shattering to a million pieces.

p.s. i think brendon urie is here (lol jk)

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3 am review broadcasting in 3...2...1.... i'm going to let it off my chest so i can finally sleep peacefully: vee is a diCK

right off the bat, the drama starts with vee being a whole creep and taking advantage of mark. how many more dramas do we have to see with this theme????? why do these BL dramas have this recurring theme where their relationship develops from non consensual shit?? am i mad? yes. am i mad that war and yin are very attractive actors? yes. am i whipped for them? yes. do i like this drama? fuCC NO.

*interlude noises* *vhs sounds thingies* *dog barks*

please do tell me.... what is there in vee that can be seen as a good person??
why is he trying with his whole chest to cry a river and putting the blame on mark when clearly he's the one who's in the wrong??? why act like you're the victim?? mark did nothing wrong.... vee went around in circles, not making himself clear to mark and then kissed his ex gf..... mark was at the scene.... won't you be mad if this happened to you?
after a long time of not seeing each other (i'm not even sure of the goSh darn timeline in this) and this is the first thing you see.... do you think that the other party has the right to be mad at you?

i think what i learned from this drama is that mark is a babie and vee can go suffer in a pit of hot lava and try his best to cry a river there but sadly that river will evaporate idk science but yes

p.s. i want to see war to have more leading roles in the future this boi deserve it

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"Why not design your death?"

jumping into this without expectations, i was pleasantly surprised. 'yonder' does not shy away from exploring a person's grief. however, in this drama, it wasn't an overboard melancholic take but instead, we're taken into a world of mystery and uncaniness.

a futuristic world in which people can create an almost replica of their dead loved ones is quite scary to think about. besides this thought being scary, it is sad. imagine if people are not able to move on with their lives and stuck in this sort of delusional reality. as long as they feed on their delusions and the desperate need to hold on to their loved ones, there might be cases where some will think it is 'real'. once they believe in their 'reality', it leads to unfortunate circumstances. with how our own world is ever-growing and innovating, we're not far off from this to happen. that's what makes this drama uncanny and terrifying.

"The reason beautiful moments are precious is because that moment can never return" - Kim Jae Hyun

some scenes speak to you; whether it be emotional or not. it takes you to an indescribable time wherein you're longing for something. there were no long inner monologues to reveal something or too much 'show' than 'tell'. yet, i was absolutely captivated. with a stellar cast, 'yonder' truly made its mark on being nearly perfect.

this was a drama in which each episode was 30 minutes. i was worried about the pacing at first because the themes are a bit complex. was the pacing bad? not at all! in fact, the drama did well in creating suspense and keeping its viewers hooked to the story.

although this drama is almost perfect for me, the second half was not as good as the first. i feel as though it sort of fell flat when jae hyun out of no where took an unexpected decision. despite the second half almost lacking, it managed to pick up its pace but underwhelmed me when it was over.

in the first half, it didn't rely much on music making it even more eerily atmospheric. when there is music in some scenes, the scene becomes even more breathtakingly beautiful or hauntingly real. however, i feel like the second half didn't need that much music in it.

to conclude, this is definitely how you utilise sci-fi and futuristic themes without making it seem super flashy. instead of trying so hard, focus on the details and importance of a story.

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it's almost like a parody

one thing i was super excited about was how the concept is pretty different (historical era ish) from the other kbls we've seen.

the setting, the cast, the ost were alright. it has some hilarious moments and i particularly liked seeing the actor from where your eyes linger. i think he did his role of bringing a comical effect well. the main leads were okay but the chemistry was a bit stiff at the start. perhaps it was the weird pacing so the heavy romantic dialogues said were not that convincing.

what is kinda disappointing was how nonsensical everything was. it almost felt like a wattpad story, a parody of some sort with the pacing fluctuating from left to right, up and down; a mess. i understand timing is the issue but it would've been nice if a little more thought in the plot was given considering the fresh concept.

i can't say i didn't enjoy this because i did like bits and pieces. what i can say is this drama felt silly and it is definitely something you'd watch on a whim.

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sweet jesus, what a true gem.

this is not just a drama. it's a masterpiece, worthy to be viewed and appreciated by many in museums and art galleries.

there was not a single episode where you do not feel anything. it's not dull, overdramatic or too ridiculous (that scene of karl cooking eggs while having an interview begs to differ) that you would think... "oh. this is a retelling of people in the real world who are going through the exact same emotions. this hits hard. i guess i'll be crying myself to sleep for weeks from now on"

can i talk about how clever the writers and everyone involved in this is? are we not going to talk about the smallest details and use of symbolism to further make an impact (as if it's not alrEADY hitting hard af) on the story????
oH, what about the ost? the sheer impact the ost has and how it moves the audience because the lyrics itself can summarise what's going on in the episode? bRUH even the ending credits with the quotes are telling you something

i love that all characters were also involved in the story and the audience were able to hear sides of their stories. it's not centered on clichés and "imma corner my boi against the wall *insert cheesy music*" anna, karl's uncle and judit. they all have their own stories and i love that we had the chance to hear it.

karl and vlad. two people with different pasts and different inner struggles. even though i understood vlad's side of the story, i think i was still pretty bitter and upset of vlad in episode 7 because i can relate to how karl felt. it's just not easy to say it out loud when you've had so much comfort being in that box. it's scary not knowing what others would say, if you can come out of that box and look at others with a calm face. others would say it's just a word but to those who know how it feels, it can seem like a threat.

"I don't want to be silent about my love. I've done that enough. I want to be out there. I deserve it. Just like you deserve to take your time inside."

i'm so happy with episode 8 and seeing vlad actually make amends with karl. it's the perfect closure i can ask for. even though we don't see them officially together, we can see there's hope, chance, a better understanding toward each other and all of these can contribute for a healthier relationship.

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"Only if you asked to see me, our meeting would be meaningful to me"

if you were to ask me which drama i'd like to watch for the very first time, this.... this is that drama. huang yu xuan and li zi wei's story is an endless loop of twists and turns and ups and downs yet whatever they do, their feelings for each other never faded away.

for a time travel drama, i'm not going to deny that it's quite complicated to understand at first watch. once you move away from your seat, you're bound to miss a whole lot of clues. the writer and director were sneaky to give hints in earlier episodes which foreshadows the later events of the drama. i'm sure that if i were to rewatch this a second time, a light bulb moment would catch me offguard more than once. personally, i found the pacing in this to be perfect. it was not too slow, not too fast but neutral. the way the story was unfolded was truly a delight to watch because not for once did I saw some of the scenes coming. this drama keeps you guessing.

all the people who were involved in this drama carefully crafted a story that not only talks about a love story but also portrays deep emotions such as loneliness and deep dives into important topics such as depression and suicide. wang quan sheng and chen yun ru may seem to be like background characters but they were both essential to what happened between huang yu xuan and li zi wei. while i would've loved to see wang quan sheng get his own closure and happy ending, it would change the whole timeline and story. i truly feel for this boy who wasn't accepted by society. then, there's chen yun ru who is at her lowest point. while it did seem like chen yun ru wasn't going to add any layer to the drama, the writer truly surprised me at the last few episodes.

even though the main elements in the drama are more of a serious tone, this does have its heart-fluttering moments as well as comedic moments. the funny scenes wasn't over the top so it blended well not making it seem out of place. the acting from the cast was well done and i can't say that the emotional scenes didn't tug at my heartstrings. the friendship of huang xu yuan, mo jun jie and li zi wei is so precious to the point that they kept sticking around for each other (no pun intended).

overall, this was a cluster of mindfuckery and then there are parts of it that makes you squeal. i think the reason i was keeping this drama for so long was because i was afraid to fall deeply yet here i am, planning to watch it over and over again.

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wasted potential

this drama is not bad. it just has some flaws that affected my view on how the story was executed.

to start it off, pai was an introvert and tried his best to not disappoint his parents so he agreed to everything that asked to have this "good kid" image. my problem with it was that throughout the drama his character didn't change a bit. we only got to see a development in his character halfway in the last episode. it would've been more impactful if we got to see the change somewhere when the uni setting was introduced. the parents literally just popped out of nowhere to add last minute tension to the story and drag the first bit of the finale. why didn't we get to see pai finally take his own stand? what's the point of breaking up again? honestly, it's so tiring to have a recycled bit from bls where the last episode consists of break up scene with a bit more angst thrown.
wouldn't it be cool to see pai refusing to break it off with itt AT THE BEGINNING of the finale? in that way, the parents realise sooner that their son is happy with that person and they have no right to deprive him of making a decision ON HIS OWN?

to be fair, they did show the parents having a therapy session thing i think? (kate don't kill me i love you)
it was good to see they were making an effort to understand where they went wrong and also to treat their son better. i appreciate that scene.

how was the chemistry?
-the friendship!! i liked that everyone had someone to lean on when shit hit the fan.
-i honestly preferred the main leads when they were in high school rather than in uni. i think i understood itt's character and why he was so emO. itt and pai were quite cute too in HIGH SCHOOL. the communication was lacking tho. there were so many misunderstandings that could've been fixed with one single convo but i guess they were young and going thru shit
fast forward to uni.... where art thou, chemistry? what happened? did we even get to see any scenes with the main leads' relationship developing? why is itt always rude af and acting like a secret santa at the same time? why does it feel like the main leads don't exist anymore?
okay the kiss was good... but i don't feel anything?
-purefolk. the absolute cuties. pure was a bit shady with his friend almost raping folk and that convo they had... big red flags ngl. i side eyed a lot but gosh dang it these two are adorable. i think they could've passed as the main couple.

overall, i think this would've been less boring if they shortened the high school scenes, less of itt running away from pai and not being direct with his feelings and no last minte breakup scene. one thing i can praise is that the drama didn't fail to send the message of consent and safe sex.

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it could've been more

i'm honestly quite disappointed. this had a pretty good start and i was thinking this was going to be an entirely different drama and won't have the usual kdrama tropes.

i really don't understand why there always have to be that breakup scene whenever a drama is ending. aLSO SOMEONE ALWAYS HAVE TO VANISH FOR A BIT like bruh where do you teleport to? in here, the fact that they did that just made it feel like they were dragging the story instead of putting a bit more focus on the important topics that this drama revolves around.

why not make the final episodes focusing on jang ha ri's struggle with pregnancy? what was the point of the scene of yi sang crying a river??? legit it was just him crying... no purpose given as to why he was crying lol i didn't come here to watch a melodrama

i could care less about the side couple.... fr why? so much more could've been brought into the plate. i get they did mention adoption once. it would've been nice if that was explored a bit more?

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Y'all know when your pen is close to running out of ink? You're still holding on to it in hopes that it'll magically have a longer lifespan?

That's how I felt watching this.

There was potential to produce a well developed story where the main leads have a strong build up in their relationship. However, we received... a drama in 1.25 x speed.

I couldn't be bothered about the side couples. It was just so tasteless. If they had a plot in mind and characters that actually had personalities, maybe they should've taken a careful approach and made the episodes longer. With a drama like this, they should've made it into a movie instead.

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i survived.

this drama was such a rocky road for me.

let's start with the positives:
-beautiful visuals
so many scenes in this drama were worth a screenshot. i loved the costume designs and how the production team made amazing efforts in setting the mood for either an emotional scene or a romantic one.

-good chemistry
esther yu and dylan wang did so well with their characters and i can't picture anyone else playing as the ear-piercing fairy and the hot emo lord. all jokes aside, the emotions were delivered nicely and i have no complaints.

-addictive ost
listen. the intro, the outro or whatever is in the soundtrack... they're all so dang stunning!!! i can imagine myself coming back to them now and then.

what's my issue with this drama?
i have two main issues that affected my enjoyment of this drama:
-the female lead
besides the high pitched voice and how childish her character was, orchid's backstory didn't hit me that hard. i had to wait for 20 or 30 episodes to wait for her to sort of grow as a character and whew, why did i have to wait so long? i didn’t even feel the character development because of how much the story was stalling.

-the mortal realm
yoooooo this part was so dragged. idk how long i stayed here to the point that it almost felt like a fever dream. i just wanted the writer to cut to the chase and get it over with.

do i hate this drama?
no but i'm sad. i wanted to love this so bad because there was potential for this to be really good. it sucks that only the ml's backstory was interesting enough to get me hooked but it all fell flat in the end.

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guilty pleasure at its finest

hear me out.
how am i supposed to resist flammable chemistry between the main leads? what do i do? say no?

this started out as a mess and continued to be a mess but it has a very attractive force that you can't help but be pulled in. yes, the main leads pulled me in. however, that's not all.
there were many flaws, ridiculous scenes, and inconsistencies in terms of acting and storywise. i did scratch my head and side-eye the annoying ass product placements (whitening ads begone thot) that didn't deserve to be longer than a minute. but somehow, all of these still failed to faze me to drop the drama. i found miss becky, ace's dramatic falling, the luxurious life of ace's dogs and the raining scene hilarious.... what does this say about my humor? :(

i think one of the factors that made me stay is how the relationships of sky's family, ace's family, kimace and ofc skyace were presented.

sky's family:
it's like a warm hug watching this family interact and deal with their problems. the way there was such a big support system within this family with little to no judgment present makes me envious. both parents are absolute sweethearts to their children that i wouldn't be surprised if they had halos on top of their heads because jesus, they love their children a lot. it didn't matter to them what their children wanted to be or who they are. what matters to them is that their children know that they two pairs of arms to come to when they need it and they truLY want them to know that they're ready to support them no matter what type of hell breaks loose.
sky's brother, ken... oh damn... did i cry when he told sky how much he loves him? i'M FINE NOT FINE that was too much for me.

ace's family:
"what's wrong with being gay?.... you care so much about your reputation, what about me? have you ever thought about how i feel? do you think i'm happy?"
fuck that trashcan. if you care so much more about your reputation than your own son, can you still have the audacity to call yourself a father? ace in episode 11 bursting all his emotions at both his parents who weren't there for him almost his whole life was so impactful. my favorite scene, that's for sure. aki torres did an amazing job delivering the frustrations and bottled up emotions of ace's character that was alienated of his parent's presence and affection.
are we not going to talk about ace's mom barging in ace's house with her girlfriend? idk about y'all but that was iconic to me. it screamed freedom from an abusive trashcan. she's happier with her lover, amanda and she has the chance to reconcile with her son. it's what she deserves.

kim & ace:
these two are so precious. they showed the most beautiful and selfless friendship.
kim's character isn't another evil-plotting ex girlfriend. she is a strong, independent, stunning, and humble woman that understands what is and what isn't right for her. the scene of her confessing to ace about how she truly feels but is understanding that it's unrequited is so admirable. she knows ace has someone else so she doesn't pursue him.... yes queen we bow down to you.
ace giving kim a forehead kiss tears me uP. i just love them so much. i'm a shooter for kimace.

sky & ace:
this started with ace being a dick with a temper that's worse than the sound of a screeching chalk on a blackboard. i have to admit that their relationship started with no signal of how it happened but i love it? through sky and his family, ace found himself a family and a shoulder to lean on and they were each other's support system.
the chemistry between these two are super off the charts, truly groundbreaking. their kissing and devil's tango scenes make you feel like you're watching something you shouldn't be watching because of how real it seemed... truly on fire
some scenes didn't feel scripted at all and it just sets a natural tone, making you feel warm all over ooF y'all can't tell me the durian scene where they were just having the most chill and cute ass convo was scripted....

what frustrated me the most?
-moira.... there was no consequence to anything she did... this person straight up filmed skyace without consent and also messed with sky's food causing an allergy attack.... and shE hAS THE NERVE!!! the nervE to barge in sky's house, be rude af to sky's family and still says with her whole ass lungs "s-sky i love you" biTCH THE DOOR IS TO YOUR RIGHT
-sky and ace forgiving moira that quick and not sending her to jail tf broooo sky almost died and she literally spread illegally filmed vids of y'all... don't hug her... drag her to prison aw c'mon :(
-i know ace and his dad made up in the finale but i'm still bitter haha that dude was an asshole to his mom so uhhh there's still more to fix it'd be interesting to know what happens to them next season
-the kidnapping of chukchuk was so ridiculous i can'T you're telling me ace's rich ass hired the worst security guard and also it's that easy to get in ???? was the door even locked? i stg

overall, i found this enjoyable despite the unnecessary and nonsensical scenes. i'm absolutely whipped for skyace and will definitely watch season 2. i'm probably going to need a couple of tanks filled with holy water by then. jesus is far from reach in this drama lol.

p.s. i'm obsessed with the ost
hindi ako bibitaw by paul ramirez lives in my head rent free

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baby don't stop by nct

let me start off by saying that i absolutely admire whoever made this drama possible!!!
as a filipino bisexual, seeing more and more well made filipino bl dramas like this one makes me so happy??? we're stepping forward and saying: heY these two guys are in love and that is normal bc people are allowed to love wHo the heck they love fuck whoever thinks it's weird

i have many praises for this as this was made during truly tough times... the fact that 90% of the time were video calls but the cast were still able to carry the right emotions is absolutely commendable

oH i'm glad you asked!! how was the chemistry?
well, let me tell ya buddy, it was like i lived as a spy for 2 days, squealing on my bed and wrestling my pillows, almost broke my neck in the process (dw it's not serious)

...yes, the nickname "baby" may sound cringey but oHmygOD it works in here
i only accept this monstrosity from caireel
honestly, even though the acting did feel flat a few times, i can nOt deny that it was natural with lots of cheese.... and i loved it

pearl oh pearl i love you
um hand in marriage? this girl legit carried every mess on her back like she's juggling ping pong balls she's legit the best friend everyone wished they had
she has a loveable personality i really dig her energy

i think what i loved the most was the conflicts in the end like yeS it was frustrating and quite dramatic but it made sense due to what both the main leads went through in the past... they're both still healing and i love that it's shown that their relationship is not perfect they're still figuring shit out and that's okay

the brownie points in this is it doesn't simply focus on the main leads being all lovey dovey (well it does buT) this drama tackles a bit of mental health and consent as well
-mental health: terrence feeling like he has no one to talk to and the drama takes an interesting turn of gavreel actually listening to terrence's thoughts instead of painting terrence as a permanent villain and dismissing the guy

-consent: i love that gav would add the word "consent" when teasing cai and honestly, that kiss at the end of the episode was so sweet??? gav waited for cai to move closer as a way of agreement to the kiss, when both of them were on the bed and gav asks "what do you want to do, baby?" anD cai replies "it's up to you"
the fact that gav doesn't do anything before getting cai's consent is so so so gOOD

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