Reviews

Reasons why you need to drop everything and watch Life right now:

▪︎The baddest of bad, the ultimate, Jo Seung Woo▪︎

JSW's character here is one of the best drama characters I have seen in a long long while. He is such a legend. His acting is nuanced to the core. His character is the very much competent, cutthroat, focused, driven CEO who demands respect and time and time again proves himself to be worthy of the authority he has. Often he  seems quite vicious and a corporate slave through and through as he spoke to the economist in me and tried his best to maximize his profits no. matter. what. And he is hella good at what he does too which basically means he is the resident bad guy.

Everybody hates him as they are powerless to do a thing against him. But under that slick suave bastard exterior, he is compassionate, fair, intelligent, caring and has a heart of gold. Ofcourse that doesn't give way to noble idiocy on his part and just because he can beautifully balance his humane and cunning side, it doesn't mean he isn't a force to be reckoned with.

The drama tried desperately to promote Lee Dong Wook as the main male lead but while he has his moments Life is Gyu Seung Ho's playground. It's his show through and through and I loved him so incredibly much that I can't even explain it.

▪︎Bromance & Friendship▪︎

Half of the show revolves around Lee Dong Wook and his brother and their bond is so adorable, sweet and heartbreaking that it gives you all the feels. But other than that brotherhood the drama is filled with relationships, loyalty, camaraderie and friendship between characters which is so endearing and treasured in such a hostile and brutal environment.

▪︎The tension▪︎

Oof. Like all 3 of Lee Soo Yeon's dramas, there's a lot of politics, philosophical questions and moral debates in this one too. It's less medical and more focused on the power struggle between the doctors and the management. And so I understand why people think it to be slow paced with heavy dialogues but goddamnit for me it was so engaging that I was hung on every word that came out of a character's mouth. I was completely attuned to them, focused and on the edge of my seat. It holds the same gravity and feeling of importance that Stranger 1& 2 had and the epic soudtrack just enhances it.

▪︎The romance▪︎

While not the main focus, it's woven so effortlessly and gorgeously in the storyline and just goes to enhance the personalities of the characters and make them more lovable. I am also extremely happy that my ship sailed hehe.

▪︎The FEELS▪︎

The show appeals to both your mind and your heart. While there is intelligent writing to satisfy the analytical part of your brain with a lot of mental workout there's also enough emotion for you to form a personal connection with the characters. I cried so much and surprisingly every time at small subtle moments, actions and interactions that weren't even tragic or done solely for some big emotional impact. There are no deaths or tragic birth secrets or white trucks of doom or other cheesy bullshit, there are just some extremely real, flawed and well developed characters that you hurt when they hurt and you are happy when they are happy.

▪︎Badass Women▪︎

You know me. You know if the female characters suck, no matter how awesome the male leads are, I am ready to fight. Thankfully all the females in this show are strong, some kick more ass than others but overall they are all extremely likeable.

The only reason I didn't give this show a 10 (tho it was a very very close shot) is because I expected more of the ending. It's very typical of Lee Soo Yeon. Her dramas always progress in such a grim way that you are expecting the worst to happen but then she comes in and hands you a bouquet of flowers with half of them missing.

Which saves your heart from breaking but it's also a bit lacklustre. Parts of it are uncharacteristically idealistic but then parts are extremely realistic as she doesn't try to solve every issue and leaves it up to the audience. It's a little frustrating and makes me not give her a full 10 but that also means I don't dare dock more than half a point 'cause these endings are still very much infused with warmth, hope and love.

It's definitely one of the best dramas out there. The cast is the same in all of her three shows so you know they are extremely gelled in with the writer and the acting is great across the board.

A must watch. Even more so for fans of Stranger 'cause there is a cameo in the last episode that will blow your socks away. ;)

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May I Help You?

At first, one would think it is just another comedy, 'feel good', “very fictional”, TV series. It was easy to drop it just because. But, a fair warning, doing so would be to your detriment. This series is about life, the value of relationships, and yes, what death means for you and me.

The story transcends faith and religion. This was beautifully depicted with the Catholic priest and the Catholic confessional box; as well as, by the Buddhism beliefs of the other characters. Life, relationships, and death, are universal, and commonly have the same depth of meaning regardless of one's faith and religion.

It isn't about ghosts. In fact, there is nothing paranormal in the story, rather, it is more supernatural. A higher being supernaturally allowed the female lead character to have a spiritual “Stella's touch”. One last opportunity to for the dead to make their wishes known; and for the living to have peace.

The ending is a must-watch, but only if one watched the series from the beginning without skipping anything. It is rare to see an ending that blows the audience, and leaves a long-lasting impression. An ending deserving of the beautifully woven story of the male and female lead characters, and their relationships with their loved ones, their regrets, and their hopes.

This TV drama is a story about you and me. It is a story about the living and our dearly departed. It is a story of healing and moving on. A story of regrets and hopes. It is painful, sad, and you will definitely cry no matter how strong you may be. But in the end, it reminds us how good it is to live, and that all the pain and hardship of life we may have gone through and will go through, are nothing compared to having been loved.

May I Help You?

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Originally posted on my blog: Snoworld | YourOnly.One (https://im.youronly.one/snoworld/may-i-help-you-일당백집사-2022-review-2022357/)

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The best kind of normalcy.

Adults playing adults, no over the top childish miscommunications, realistic (though underdeveloped) problems one can face in the workplace, great natural chemistry and likable female characters - all that made me happy.

Not gonna lie, Kim Jong Chan was the star of the story. I’m so done with cold and emotionless bosses, as if you cannot be professional and dedicated to your work and have personality. Luckily, Jong Chan does not follow the stereotype we usually get. He might be direct and focused, strict with people who work in his team, but he also has a really warm and fun persona outside of the workplace.

Woo Seung Hyun was a great character to watch, but I wished they set up the fact he was a “late bloomer” more, and explain what it means. For me, it was obvious, but I can also understand if people started to complain he was too childish and naive for his age.

Personally, I enjoyed his story. Not quite knowing yourself, your goals, what you are good at and what kind of job would be best fit for you in your late 20’ is not exactly uncommon, and I think many could relate to Seung Hyun in that aspect.

Storytelling wise, I do think they did a decent job with presenting all the different plotlines. Sure, some kind of died without much exploration or closure, some got a rushed conclusion - but for 7 episodes, the show had a good flow and pacing.

Cast did great. Kwon Hyuk fits both the strict boss at work, and sweet boyfriend after, and Moon Ji Yong made Seung Hyun seem like a believable character as this innocent and hardworking intern. I also cannot stop myself from hyping Ye Ji Won being part of the cast, because we have not seen such a big name in K-BLs yet - maybe this is the first step to make the genre more mainstream.

Production was great. It did have this web series on the lower budget vibe for just a few shots, but overall - no complaints.

Overall, I’m just happy we got to see a normal relationship in BL. Yes, I do enjoy the exaggerated plots too, they are entertaining, but this wholesome mundane take is something I truly crave in the romance genre, and The New Employee delivered.

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Hilarious

I don't understand how can people hate on this drama..!!!???? I find it hilarious(swimming on tableㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ) I absolutely love silly adorable dramas with no complicated stories....
I'm literally livin' for both of those cuties......♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

I suggest, watch this if you want something little and funny...A story that will make you feel warm in these cold days.........


p.s: Hot men alert......RoWoon along with SooDuk's hwatttt oraboni(sorry, can't remember his name rn)....😌🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

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A tale of three suitors

The drama, "Secret Relationships," plunges viewers into a world of passion as three suitors vie for the heart of a man named Jun Seo (Da On)

Of Jun Seo (Da On)'s suitors, two display red flag behaviors that worsen over time. Sun Hyung (Seong Hyeon) distinguishes himself as the sole suitor genuinely committed to Jun Seo (Da On)'s well-being. He watches over Jun Seo (Da On), ever-ready to come to his aid and catch him before he can fall and hit the ground

A standout feature of this drama is its thoughtful examination of trauma and love's therapeutic power in mending emotional scars

"I don't deserve to love or be loved, everyone around me ends up miserable" (episode 7, 13:29)

We see the traumatized Da On in a mindset where he deems himself unworthy of experiencing love. However, he deserves to be loved and the possibility of a healthy relationship with Seong Hyeon is what he needs to rediscover his worth and find happiness. "You can't keep hiding forever, please, stop running away," drama Seong Hyeon says (episode 7, 21:04), encouraging drama Da On to confront his demons. Just like in the manhwa, drama Seong Hyeon is a turning point for drama Da On and the best thing that's ever happened to him: https://imgur.com/a/13vcR6T

Brilliantly written and executed, "Secret Relationships" is a must-watch for everyone. The four male leads have taken BL/gay Kdramas to new heights with their performances, and I, for one, crave more of their talent in the genre

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A Sword-Grabbing Saga That Will Tickle Your Bones

The Legend of the Female General is a hilarious drama that I enjoyed immensely. Its entire premise is a crater-sized plot hole, so if you can't suspend disbelief big time, best give this one a skip. The title makes its mythic, Hua Mulan-esque aspirations obvious (Mulan, of course, being a legend herself). The indisputably romantic and lyrical Chinese title, 锦月如歌 (Song of the Brocade Moon), makes it clear this is more Art of Love than Art of War. And in that, it delivers in spades as a sword-grabbing saga that will tickle your bones.

For me, the unwitting humor here far surpasses that of A Dream Within A Dream (which I dropped), which tried so hard to be a parody it was more stressful than amusing. This drama comically embraces a bunch of the best, most incredulously well-loved tropes with abandon and just runs with them, not caring if they are well-stitched together. While I found it a nonsensical riot, I totally understand why it's been panned.

To preserve their military status, the (dumb-dumb) He family swaps out their sickly, all-important male child, He Rufei, for their robust and completely expendable daughter, He Yan. They couldn't find a big and tall girl, so they made do with a short, scrawny, and chesty one. She grows up wearing a mask and achieves glory as the redoubtable General Feihong, whose military successes are so awesome they make the real He Rufei wish he'd been born short and scrawny sans boobs. He stages an epic recovery at the height of her fame and swoops in to steal her glory. Of course, no one notices the one-head height difference because this kingdom is a classic Darwin 101 example of a state doomed to extinction. After reclaiming his name, he arranges for her to fall off a cliff, evidently unaware that no one dies falling off a cliff in a Chinese drama.

Disguised as a man, He Yan later joins the Yezhou army led by the no less renowned General Feihong—her old classmate, Xiao Jue. Suspecting "he" is a spy, Xiao Jue gives "him" the hot side-eye many times until the thrust of his mighty sword is parried by a pair of boobies. Yes, shame on me! I loved all the dirty jokes and naughty-but-nice innuendo that had me gawking at my big-screen TV with a stupid, lovestruck grin. I wasn't bothered at all that the cross-dressing "pretty boy" He Yan went full-on girly on Xiao Jue with her shameless flirting and half-innocent innuendo.

The truth is, I don't dislike trashy idol romance dramas when they are made like this. Most of the time, I drop them because I've seen the leads go through the same tired motions with so many other pairings that the chemistry feels contrived. There is nothing more nauseating than the dreadful dead-duck stare that so many third-rate traffic actors try to sell as infatuation. This drama works because I was hooked by Zhou Ye and Cheng Lei's chemistry. I saw an explosion of sparks every time he side-eyed her and she ogled him right back like she was ready to misbehave. True story: after the hot moment of enlightenment in Episode 4, my old big-screen TV literally died on me, and I had to rush-order a new one.

I won't bother shredding the plot and logic holes—there are lots of them, and far more articulate voices have already gone to town on it. Undeniably, the compelling chemistry and strong portrayals by both Cheng Lei and Zhou Ye carry this drama, bolstered by solid performances all around. I was charmed by how naturally Li Qing brought to life the face-swapped role of Cheng Lisu, and his romance with Song Tao Tao was cute and funny. Chu Zhao is the best-written, most multifaceted character in the story. The conflict between his ambition and his morality is well-played by Zhang Kangle. I had to laugh at how Bai Shu totally hammed up his cartoon villain with wildly exaggerated facial expressions; he seemed to be having the time of his life.

By far the strongest aspect of this drama are the fight scenes—they are brutally intense, fast-paced, and thrilling. This director is known for problematic storytelling, but his action choreography is really something else. Some of the war tactics are creative takes on famous Three Kingdoms battles.

As for Zhou Ye, she is a total firecracker who absolutely lights up the fiery scenes as delightfully as she owns the cute, girly bits. On the surface, she may not look the part of a female general, but she certainly acted it in the fight scenes. Too many idol actors shirk hardcore action, daring to pass off a few showy twirls and wimpy sleeve-swats as fighting. As He Yan, Zhou Ye really wielded her spear and sword powerfully and vehemently; the strain of demanding moves was visible on her features. She is a professionally trained ballerina—incredibly strong and athletic despite her size. Not all generals have to be tall and physically imposing; many famous ones were more brain than brawn. Zhuge Liang of Three Kingdoms fame was skinny and runty with mediocre combat skills, wandering into battle with his fan. While the fearsome Cao Cao was a killing machine, both he and the unbeatable Yue Fei were allegedly quite short and possibly even stocky. Oh, the preconceived notions we have! What pains me most is that no one asks why cast such a tall actor as Bai Shu as He Rufei instead of why cast Zhou Ye as He Yan.

I'm not trying to deflect the well-deserved criticisms. This is indubitably not an award-winning masterpiece, but it won my heart with its cheeky adult humor, melting romance, gripping action, and overall engaging rehash of cheesy tropes. Even with my 9.5+ rated dramas, I'm not much of a re-watcher. But this is one of the few trashy gems with scenes I can see myself replaying when I'm bored. Happy to rate this 8/10 as a top-tier guilty pleasure.

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I saw a lot of negetive comments and reviews on this drama but wanted to watch it and I am really glad that i watched it.It's really a great drama.There were a lot of moments that were so heart touching and made me jump out of happiness .I was not a big fan of Kim Go Eun but after watching this I've become one.All actors were superb at there acting.Woo Do Hwan,Kim Go Eun and Lee Min ho were Fantastic at there acting.so in total I think it's a great drama and i will surely gonna watch it again and again.One more thing........Yes, this drama has a happy ending so please watch it .I am sure that you will not regret.so give it a try without any hesitation.If you are reading my review then thank's alot and stay happy:)

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I had higher expectations for this drama, so I was slightly disappointed that the plot and the acting didn't quite live up to those. HOWEVER, despite this, I was still engaged with this show and enjoyed it even though it was flawed.

My first criticism is for the plot. I want to preface this by saying that I've never read the comic, so I wasn't influenced in any way by the source material. The issue is that the backstory information that would have been so helpful to understanding what was going on was dribbled out like crumbs on the trail in Hansel and Gretel. I wanted to know more, but the writers would have the characters give some cryptic piece of dialogue and then fail to explain well enough that I felt satisfied as a viewer. The answers came "too little, too late" for many people and I felt somewhat like that myself. I was mostly satisfied with the answers we finally received, but not 100%. I also tend to believe that the budget may have been cut early on. The reason I say so is because the "realm of the gods" was only shown briefly, even though it was splendid. And Ha Baek came through to the human's realm without his powers. He was able to use them twice, and they were marvelous special effects, but then they were not used again. I think they made a good choice to cut the special effects rather than lose production value, but I think they made it a little obvious anyway since the show really could have been something special with a bigger budget.

The acting was fine, but not phenomenal. I think Nam Joo Hyuk was not quite the right choice for Ha Baek. He's adorable, sure. And I've enjoyed his other works. But I don't know that he carried the weight of the role as well as a more experienced actor may have. He wasn't a horrible choice, but I just think they could have done better. On the plus side he was VERY cute. :) And Shin Se Kyung got a lot of criticism for her acting, but I don't think she is a bad actress at all. She played her role fine. The chemistry between the two was hit and miss. Sometimes I thought it was there, and other times, not so much. Im Joo Hwan really knocked it out of the park, though, and was one of the lone actors that really stood out in this show. So much so, that a lot of viewers kept watching for him alone. The other actors were fine. Not anything special, but just fine.

Now, the music on the otherhand, was beautiful. I absolutely loved the track, Glass Bridge. Mesmerizing song! I don't know the names of the others, but the music was lovely. The cinematography was beautiful as well.

I can't say I would re-watch this. Maybe after I read the comic, more of the story will fall into place and I'll understand it better, but that's about it. I do think they ended the show much better than I was expecting, even if it was a bit anticlimactic. This show wasn't horrible by any means, and I hate that so many people gave up on it so quickly. But it was a decent watch even though it didn't live up to its potential. I'm not mad I spent the time watching it.

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The bad rating really isn’t about the endgame

PROBABLY SPOILER ALERT!


I dont even know where to start. At first I felt sad we were getting only 6 ep, but I couldnt wait for it to end.
It was the most tiring, slow-paced, boring season ever. I have watched season 1 probably over 5 times. It was my first kdrama and that’s why I was so invested. For someone to wait for almost two years and checking every month to see if there was an update, this was a let down. The bad rating is not because of the endgame, trust me.

Let me just start by saying that the characters were all completely different (in a negative way). We knew none of them really. There was no character development. Sunoh was pretty much non-existent (like how can you give the most important character so little screentime while he was the one that made almost everyone watch and like this show). Jojo was the most toxic, indecisive FL I have ever seen. How can you still be like that at that age? She was only hurting everyone around her for no apparent reason. She had no characteristics and no evolvement. No goals, no dreams- nothing. She was never studying, never caring for her friend (seriously what was the purpose of putting her in the show?) or anyone around her. Yet she always felt like everyone around her was hurting her. Instead of wanting a boyfriend (I think her having 3 bfs in a kdrama is a record), she should’ve just let the brothers alone to avoid their friendship to break. She just toyed with them. They did Sunoh so dirty, both Jojo and Heyyoung.

Heyyoung grew up with him and let a girl come inbetween them. Yes, maybe he liked her first but that never means he should’ve had her from the beginning. He worked with her for years and she never, ever knew him, never cared for him. That says enough about him. He was a very passive person. When Sunoh wanted to communicate about where they went wrong as friends (because Sunoh really did care), he just had the audacity to completely disregard him and just walk away without saying anything. That was wayy worse than what Sunoh did to him (even though in s1 Sunoh was like “Jojo is not an object, let her choose”). They both broke the bro-code. Heyyoung was the most boring character ever. When characters are silent and shy, they usually have an inner quirky-ness. Heyyoung had nothing. I still dont know what Heyyoung was doing at his internship or what he wanted to become in life. Just like Jojo; no dreams, no goals- nothing. His only obsession in life was someone he loved for over four years without knowing a single thing about that person and having never really talked with her (seriously, what did he like about her again?!).

Sunoh on the other hand was the only normal character (plus Gul-mi, never thought I would say this). He was trying to communicate to understand what was going on and what happened. He wanted to give Jojo all his love when he never even had love from his closed ones. He was never a rich brat. I never understood why people thought he was a bad person. There was not one bad thing about him. He was always there for others without judging them. He never cared about his money or fame and even did good causes. He was not a toxic character nor was he the unhealthy factor in his relationship with Jojo. Even with Yukju he was straighforward and she knew everything about what he did and didn’t feel. Throughout the series I kept thinking of how Jojo did not deserve him and how Yukju was a sweet girl. I wish instead of making him go through so much pain, they should’ve just focused on his relationship with Yukju. I am sure more people would’ve liked the show then. The scenes with his parents were really confusing and the whole production felt rushed. In s1 everything looked more real and thought-out, now we didn’t even see one single worker of his mother next to her.

There was literally no plot, no plot development. Romance consisted of them just walking each other home and texting if they have eaten. They were so boring. Jojo was just a pathetic character and I don’t get how no one left her in her life without dying. Jojo and Heyyoung both lacked the skill of communication and communication is key. That was a major red flag. Also how she did the same FAULT again when using the spear for Heyyoung. Like you used the shield and regretted it and now you use the spear? No wonder he had left. I was glad he did to prove a point.

I never thought I would’ve said this but the only one I really liked in this show was Gul-Mi. Such a funny, insane but still sane girl she was. I was glad that Duk Gu hadn’t died and she got her karma.

Duk Gu was annoying to me about how Jojo would’ve rang Heyyoungs love alarm regardless. Because there was no reason for her to like Heyyoung. There was nothing that he had that Sunoh didn’t have. It was all about timing. She breaks up with Sunoh because of her past issues but four years later she still has those issues and no character development, yet suddenly gives Heyyoung a chance. Why? Why not Sunoh? Because suddenly Heyyoung came to the damsel in distress. She would’ve liked anyone at that point.

ALSO, where was the whole Anti-Love alarm group? Why put that in the drama in s1 only to never go back to it in s2? That would’ve made it more realistic and interesting. We all were waiting for that.

The saddest scene were I broke down was when Sunoh and Jojo met up for closure. It felt so forced and if it was just for SK and KSY they probably would’ve chosen JojoxSunoh. I felt like it was all about timing. It looked like a missed chance. Her saying that she would install the shield again if she went back was disrespecting Sunoh. She should’ve felt ashamed for causing him so much pain. I felt like Jojo would’ve liked anyone who came in front of her. If Sunoh would’ve stayed by her side regardless, I wonder what would’ve happened.

But to be honest, I am glad she ended up with Heyyoung. Both passive and no chemistry but Sunoh deserved better so I am glad. He is way too precious to end up with a toxic person like Jojo. There was also zero reason for him to like Jojo. She was not worth it. I am sure the actors all think the same way and I am happy Jung Ga Ram is serving in the military cause he won’t get all the backlash now.

Nobody should feel sorry. Netflix knew what they were doing. We all warned them for not putting out a half-assed season. The fact that they also took away our Sunoh moments and made them Heyyoungs (liking list etc) was so painful. The scenes were lacking and a lot of things were left out or rushed (where the hell is the love alarm 2.0 event scene?!). I won’t watch anything of this director and screenwriter again. I cannot believe how they passed this. Even my cat could write it better. There was not even one “wow” moment. I just feel pain for my wasted two years.

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As overdone as secretary/assistant and boss romcoms have started to seem to me recently I decided to still give this one a try, and I'm glad I did. Along with all the usual clichés about an overworked and underappreciated secretary and a hypercritical perfectionist boss, there is an interesting twist to the story that at least makes it feel a little different from others. I had no idea how to feel about this drama after the first episodes, but soon I found myself looking forward to the next episodes, tropes and all.

What got me looking forward to watching every episode was not the story but rather the two main characters. The best way to describe their chemistry is extremely cute, like giggling while watching cute. I think that is mainly because of Kim Young Kwang as Director Do Min Ik. Even at his worst behavior, there was just always something super charming, sympathetic, and cute about him, and it really is an interesting role. He is matched by Jin Ki Joo as his personal secretary Jung Gal Hee, who despite being the kind of doormat that usually annoys me, she was also very cute in a way that made me want to root for her. Together, their super cute chemistry kept me involved from the very beginning, and I couldn't help but get hooked just from wanting to see them together, which never got old for me. At times the romance is super cheesy, but it's delicious cheese in my opinion, which made me overlook a lot of the show's other flaws.

The rest of the cast is pretty entertaining too (especially Gal Hee's blind brother and the campy Veronica Park), with one major exception... Koo Ja Sung as Ki Dae Joo. I don't know if it's due to inexperience or not but I found Koo Ja Sung to be extremely boring to have such a major role. Many of the actors knew how to play up the comedy and the drama but he seemed one note throughout. It was extra noticeable whenever he was in scenes with Veronica Park, who was such an over the top character, and in comparison, his character fell completely flat. There was an ambiguous nature to his character which did work for the story but he still never had much of a personality or depth in a show full of so many broad characters.

As for the story, it's mostly everything you've already seen in this type of drama with a random twist that at first seemed silly but it definitely made things more interesting. I also loved the way that part of the story unfolded visually. There is also a mystery element to this drama that was intriguing enough to make me want to know what was really going on, but it was the cheesy romance that really kept me watching. This is also a generally lighthearted story. Even though there are serious elements nothing is ever taken too seriously, even when characters are in tears or in danger. That definitely made it hard to take this drama too seriously or expect too much from the plot. There is also dual identity part of the story that is very far-fetched but was still fun to watch. I honestly had no real complaints while watching, but the ending did feel rushed. Still, I appreciated that they didn't add unnecessary new conflicts and rivalries to try to fill in the time, and stuck to telling one storyline without a lot of distracting sideline stories.

Would I watch this again? If I'm in the mood for a cute romcom, then yes. The cute parts are definitely rewatchable, and the short episodes are constructed well enough to not get too boring. However, I'd much rather see Kim Young Kwang cast as another male lead in a new romcom soon!

Overall I recommend this drama even though it's not joining my official list of favorites. It's more like a guilty pleasure drama. I think the key to enjoying it is to not expect too much or overanalyze the plot. There is also a reoccurring theme about what's really important in life and relationships that I liked. This drama may not have been what I expected at first sight, but I'm definitely glad I kept watching.

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Equal Parts Scared and Excited

This drama… Oh, this drama. I don’t even know why I started this as I rarely watch present-day Chinese dramas, minis or otherwise, and most I do watch are because they have an actor I like. But I have to say, what a ride this has been. I would categorize this drama as a dark romance. The story has another one of those troupes where the male lead is basically screaming through his actions “I’m giving you trauma because I love you and want to protect you”. But this one had an added spiciness to it. A lot of it. Every time I read the title, I wondered if it was an analogy for us viewers to embrace the darkness of the show. This one definitely kept me wondering about my own moral compass…

The male lead becomes more and more unhinged as the story moves forward. The word psycho kept popping up in my head every time he did something. I’ll be honest, this man both scared and excited me. I never thought WX, the female lead, was the brightest crayon in the box, but I didn’t think she was a dumbass either. That is until around episode 10, I changed my mind then. Her actions had become particularly sloppy and it was clear she was winging it. This is not a situation where you just “wing it”. The male lead kept having to save her. Although, he was also working against her. If he had communicated with her, she probably wouldn’t have done some many things without thinking them through. Am I giving her too much credit? I am. Their dynamic mostly screamed of abusive relationship and even for me, some things were hard to watch.

The acting… Okay, so the actress portraying the female lead was terrible. She had mostly one expression throughout the whole show and that was scared bunny. She was also very stiff. All of the characters, villains included, were cartoonish versions of what a well depicted character of their type would be. This includes the main leads, although the main lead actor did act really well in a few scenes. Ling Yuan, the “second male lead”, if he can even be called that, was also unhinged. He was also as obsessed with our male lead as I was. In one scene, he laments he has to buy his own chocolates, as if he went through a break up with Xu Zhe Qing. Which to be honest, he kind of did. You can have break ups with friends also and these break ups sometimes hurt more than one with a partner. Should that have been as funny as I found it? Probably not, but I was dying from laughter. Also, the OST was perfectly chosen for this show. The songs echoed possession and being possessed and of danger lurking in every corner. I enjoyed that very much as I felt it was fitting. The show also ends in what can be considered a cliffhanger, but it can also be considered as a "their adventures continue" and I don't need to actually see, but am happy to imagine it.

Did I think this was a masterpiece? Not at all. Was it entertaining? Yes. Also, Did I mention it was spaaaicy? Because it was. If you try to make sense of how things happen in this drama, you will get a headache. However, if you watch it for what it is, mindless fun, you'll be wheezing from laughing so much.

Note: If you have a hard time watching abusive relationships and possessive male leads on screen, it would be best to skip this one.

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Worth your time!

The series is still on-going but I’ll just drop my two cents here. I love this cdrama! I don’t know but I like this kind of trope. It’s cute, fresh and lovely to watch.

Plot is well written- no unnecessary jump in the story. Cringey - sometimes but I guess.. that’s how cdrama is.

Actors, Yu Wen and Zi Qi’s chemistry is *chef’s kiss*. Loved that this is already their 2nd drama as couple! I love how this is kinda continuation with Once we get married- cos they literally have a son here.

Highly recommended to my fellow c-drama lovers out there! Worth your time! ❤️

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This is the first time I'm writing a review for a drama, because seeing the ones that are up on this page just shocked me. I don't understand how people could think so negatively about this drama.
Maybe some people compared it to Kill me, Heal me, and let me just say that I have watched and completed KMHM before watching this, and yes I loved it. But although both dramas have DID as a theme, they're totally different.

I loved how Hyde, Jekyll and Me had another perspective on the subject. It's deep and actually addresses issues that had not been central in KMHM. Some people thought it was boring or nothing happening. Well let me just tell you this, this drama is all about the internal stuff going on! It's all about the people and their feelings and although nothing major is actually going on, it's all about the little changes that make you go from the situation in episode 1 to the ending. Some people also said that it was too long and could have been just 16 episodes. I disagree, all the steps were necessary, all the dialogues were necessary. For once, I actually thought the characters had a way of approaching the story logically. I don't understand what people don't like about HaNa, just think for a second if you were to be in her shoes. I thought she acted rationally (or emotionally but it MADE SENSE).

The actors played well in my opinion, but I guess everyone has their opinion. But it just doesn't make sense to me when people go crazy about a lame drama like Sensory Couple (Omg... at least in this one the police doesn't seem as incompetent, but I digress...) and bash out at something as awesome as Hyde, Jekyll and Me.

So the only recommendation I have is that you give this a try yourself (and we all know giving a chance to a drama means 5 episodes at least) and don't take into account all the negativity surrounding the ratings, which honestly I still do not get.

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Excellent drama about Love, Life and Career

At first I had my doubt since I'm the type of person who easily drop a drama. Moreover, I'm more into mystery, detective or thriller drama than slice-of life. But I love watching sport anime and I'm a fan of Wu Lei so I give this drama a chance. I watch it without any expectation and got surprised at how much I love this drama. I want to review the + and - of the drama, but then I realized that something that I think positive might be seen as negative by someone else. So I would just list things that I like and I don't like about this drama.

Things that I like:
1. This is a drama with quote-worthy lines, have realistic description about work life & struggle, and problems in family
This drama is not only about love, but personal growth and people's effort to live the life that they want. The main theme is how love can make you be a better person. How love can give you courage, whether the courage to let go or the courage to start over.

2. I can identified myself with the protagonists & they make me want to root for them
This is the first thing that attract me to this drama. I can relate very much with the struggle of the female lead Liang You'an (LYA). As a working lady in my 30's I experience the same problems with her. Horrible bosses, no work-life balance, stagnant career, you name it. I was like, "why this is hit close to home?" Same as the female lead, I also have bad experience in love and everyone around me seems to have not-so-happy marriage, making me kind of afraid to meet the wrong partner and get married. But after watching this drama I think, "hey, maybe if I meet someone who is right for me, romantic relationship might work". I can also relate with the struggle of the male lead Song Sanchuan. I'm someone who excelled in my education, but I've faced several failures at work that sometimes make me lose confident in myself. I know how our state of mind can affect our performance and I found I'm rooting so much for SSC to overcome his struggle and develop his potential to its fullest.

3. The romance between SSC & LYA progress naturally with natural sweetness
I prefer drama with a relationship that progress naturally. Romance in this drama is not industrial saccarine, it's full of natural sweetness. Which I think is excellent and match my preference. But for people who love heavy romance drama with a lot of skinship, the sweet romance here might not evenly spread in every episode and they might need to patiently watch the love story unfold. The amount of sweet scenes are more in later episodes after SSC & LYA got together (start from episode 30). Those episodes are full of sugar.

3. Directing, script & overall production
I just love the cinematography in this drama. For example the scene after LYA reject SSC and show us how they separate that day in the parking lot (with LYA shown to slowly go away by car and SSC still standing there). The way the drama show the community where SSC live. They pay attention to show us every character's living condition. Even from the clothes we can see LYA's high-class clothes and SSC's middle class clothes and have a sense of the difference in their living condition.

4. Some of the supporting characters
There's a lot of lovely supporting characters in this drama. An Cong is a very nice father figure to SSC. I love how they bonded, bickered and love each other despite not having blood connection. LYA's best friend, Luo Nian, show us the stuggle of being a single mom. I'm surprised at how I can like Liang Tao. I hate her at first. But after I finally see her background and thoughts, I think I can see where she come from. The boys at the tennis club so supportive to SSC & I love their friendship.

5. Protagonist with no-nonesense attitude
In a lot of drama, I was frustated at how some of the protagonists act illogically and annoyed me. Make the same mistakes numerous times, childish, etc. Sometimes the protagonist here doing something that I don't like, but I still understand why they do it. This has a downside tho. Some people love protagonist who act silly & unpredictable, and character who act mature and sensible all the time might not seems interesting to some people. They might seems flat. But for me, I love this kind of no-nonesense protagonist.

6. The problems are resolved quickly
Some drama drag the problem for too long. Thankfully not in this drama. Every problem are resolved quickly and there's happiness in every episode. Just like life itself which sometimes challenging and sometimes fun.

Things that I don't like:
1. Some supporting characters.
While I do think there's a lot of lovely supporting characters here, there's also a lot who are annoying. I know the screenwriter flesh out their story because she want to send a message. For example, Jiang Jie the horrible ex-boss of LYA. I understand what the screenwriter want to show with his story, but it doesn't mean I care and I still wish his screentime is reduced.

2. I feel like they can simplified some side story and make the drama more compact. Some parts feels a little bit draggy for me, particularly when it show the story of the characters that I don't really care about like what I said in poin 1 above. There's also some product placement in this drama. While it's not annoying at all and placed nicely, but I still notice that it's product placement.

Overall, I really recommend this drama to everyone. I give 10 for actings because I really like how natural they portray the characters. You need to watch this drama, particularly if you like:
- urban/slice of life/sport drama
- sweet romance
- deep talk

I'm not recommending this drama for people who are:
- too young. I don't expect teenager to relate with the struggle portrayed in this drama.
- expecting heavy romance or a relationship that has bloom/intimate from the start. The romance in this drama is sweet but that's not the only focus here. It's also a drama about life & career. This drama also aired on national TV so they remove the hot scenes and make it tame.

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I didnt know what I was expecting

honestly I went into this not knowing what to expect but pure comedy gold was not it. is it absolutely ridiculous? yes. yes it is. but I think that’s what I like about it. sometimes we just need that over the top, sometimes cringy, ridiculous, and sweet stories to remind us to not be so serious and just enjoy it for what it is.

also, I love that we are getting representation of the disability community, and so far it seems like it’s done well. plus it is already pulled an assortment of feelings out of me so I’m eager to see what else this series will bring.

I also really liked the MCs there is something different about them that pulls me in. sure we’ve got some of the rich spoiled kid, but he went deeper than that in my opinion. he wasn’t totally helpless. I also enjoy that we don’t have the” whoa is me” stereotype that we sometimes get with a character who has a disability. instead he’s pretty badass and strands up for himself and others. 10/10 for the relationship between him and his parents.

truly, I had no idea what to expect when I started this but I’m here for what is sure to be a wild ride. we really are blessed in 2024 with some amazing BLs and I don’t think this one will disappoint.

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