Reviews

Although detective and investigation dramas are quite popular in Japan, straight action dramas don’t share the same fate. S - Saigo no Keikan is a good example of how Japanese do action productions.

The drama is based on a manga that I haven’t read so I can’t compare but from the overview, I am sure this story can make a fine anime if that’s ever planned. I always said that Japanese tend to pick interesting and different plots for their dramas; this is definitely one of those intriguing topics that invade Japanese seasons each year. The plot may seem a little heavy due to some episodic procedures but it’s smartly written to overtake certain sensitivity against the episodic pattern.

S - Saigo no Keikan (aka S - The Last Policeman) is about Special Forces in the Japanese police organization and their way of handling terrorist attacks or situations. The main focus of the drama is NPS, a new special force that gathers the qualities of two older Special Forces SAT and SIT. NPS’s purpose is to secure criminals without killing them, that’s the main belief of the force, its members and our main lead. The operations’ build-up feels quite real although the final outcome can be fairly dramatized for the sake of emotions.

Despite being a straightforward action drama with lots of gun shooting and explosions, the drama’s main focus was the ethics and the feelings behind each case. It’s indisputably not brainless action for the sake of entertainment, it’s also not action games for the sake of thrills, military techniques or the suspense; it’s action for the sake of human emotions and relationships. It was an interesting take of the police, its higher-ups and the power struggle between Special Forces.

Acting wise, this drama’s producers knew how to choose their leads, supporting roles and even guest stars. Mukai Osamu and Ayano Go had a good chemistry as opposites in the same line of work. Although Ichigo’s character would sound a little cheesy with his over-concentration on not killing any criminal but he managed to keep the character interesting until the very last end. However, Ayano’s Soga was more penetrating with a cold character and a detailed back story. Another interesting character must be Odagiri Joe’s Masaki Keigo, the actor does crazy roles so well; I am glad I will be seeing lots of him this year. If we talk about acting then we shouldn’t forget the veteran Omori Nao and other cast members that delivered so well no matter how small the role was.

The action department was quite intriguing at times, even though shooting and bombs’ explosions weren’t present each episode but the Special Forces techniques and operations’ codes were believably made. The OST and cinematography were also pretty fitting for the drama.

Watch if:
-You’re looking for a good Japanese action drama.
-You like dramas that focus on special themes.
-You’re looking for a good casting line-up.

Do not watch if:
-You can’t stand the episodic pattern.
-You dislike the Japanese way of making action dramas.
-You’re looking for romance.

S - Saigo no Keikan is an entertaining drama with lots of action to keep you entertained mixed with dramatic moments to stimulate emotions. I will be impatiently waiting for the film!

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A cacophony of crows.

The Story of Minglan is a leisurely and meandering account of how with patience and cunning, Sheng Minglan, the low born daughter of a concubine triumphs over many challenges to achieve both personal and social success. Minglan's father is a middling court official who over indulges his favorite concubine and allows her to turn his household upside down. The petty tyranny of harem rivalry leads to tragedy and Minglan ends up being raised under her grandmother's wing. Minglan's great misfortune has a giant silver lining because this formidable old lady is a force to be reckoned with. She sees to it that Minglan is well schooled and helps her navigate the many pitfalls of harem politics. Minglan blossoms into a quietly underestimated young lady who catches the eye of the most eligible bachelors despite her low status.

This drama digs deep into what lurks beneath the genteel façade of Confucian propriety among the status conscious Song dynasty nobility. The deceptively sedate, mundane, humdrum of women living lives of quiet desperation, occasionally broken by shrill outbursts that crescendo horrifyingly in a cacophony of crows. My eardrums barely survived the assault of this panoply of nasty, caterwauling women. The early arcs on Minglan's childhood and coming of age are the best, most empowering ones. The drama climaxes at her vengeance arc, where I found her quiet scheming and utter ruthlessness chilling and impressive. After that the domestic bliss arcs drag on far too long with the couple dealing with repetitive villains with all too similar modus operandi. We really did not need to see version 2.0, 3.0 etc of essentially the same not very smart wicked women archetypes that are too handily dealt with by our power couple.

Zhao Liying delivers a credible portrayal of a docile, Song dynasty noblewoman with hidden depths. The way she digs into you with her eyes, the fleeting cunning smirk and brief flash of fury in her placid gaze foreshadows her evolution into a full-on temper tantrum throwing wife! That said, Zhao Liying is still best at fierce roles rather than as a docile still waters run deep kind of character. Zhao Liying and Feng Shaofeng paint the perfect picture of domestic bliss.Their chemistry is that of a long married couple in harmony and less of the sizzling kind that flared up between her and Lin Gengxin in Princess Agents. It is rare to see Zhu Yilong in a costume drama and I felt real sorry for his Qi Heng who unlike both Gu Tengye and Sheng Minglan, has no free will as he is unable to free himself from the social strictures of his time. The cast overall is very strong with many veteran actors that deliver comical parodies of the ridiculous pretensions of the Song aristocracy.

I am afraid I did not enjoy this very well made drama as much as many other people did. The 70+ episode narrative goes on for too long, conveying an unnecessarily realistic impression of how suffocating it was to be a Song dynasty woman. Considering Gu Tingye's incredibly modern attitudes with respect to polygamy and empowering his wife, I am convinced it was impossible to be a Sheng Minglan in those times. Some of the early arcs are worth 8.5 but the story climaxes too early and is bogged down by repetitive plots in the latter half. This weighs my overall rating down to 8.0. This is a drama that patient viewers with robust eardrums will enjoy more.

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loved everything about it except ending

In the last few episodes, they showed all happy moments then I understood something bad is going to happen in the ending, as expected I didn't like the last two episodes. The last two episodes ruined my overall experience of watching this show, felt like 15hrs that invested in this show went waste. I was too involved in drama throughout, maybe that's why I feel this much disappointment. I absolutely loved all characters, that's why the last two episodes were like hell for me. goshhh i wish I could change that part of the story.

anyways for talking about positives, ML is super cute, the characters that you may dislike in the beginning will make you fall in love with them eventually. people who just watch for entertainment and don't get much involved in the story can enjoy this show as one time watch.

I know no writer or director is going to consider my review but still wanna mention that 90% of the audience like happy endings. for god's sake don't play with audience emotions towards the end of the show. many awesome fantasy dramas keep us involved in the story but breaks our heart towards the end, I know for writers its creative work, and they have their own imagination and understanding of the story and what they want to deliver to the audience but we would appreciate if they keep in mind that we watch dramas/shows for entertainment, so please don't spoil endings for us, just let us leave with a smile of our face after finishing watching it. don't ruin our overall experience with overdramatic endings.

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The sparks and the spices

This dating reality show is so enjoyable. There are sparks but at the same time spices as well. The whole concept of the dating show is interesting especially the phone call to express the feeling part. The phone calls kept me at edge. Like I could never predict who each of the contestant would call. It was interesting and at the same time agonizing especially the phone calls involving the love triangles.

WARNING: Major spoilers ahead!!

Honestly Junseong and Sungho are the best part of the show for me. I rooted for them since the very first phone call. "Roommate, hi" was what got me into the show and I fell deeper and deeper episode by episode. I couldn't help but cheer for Junseong. He was so sure about who he wanted and the way he expressed his feelings in the most sincere way whenever he got the chance to, every second of it was absolutely worth witnessing. On the other hand Sungho was sure about his feelings towards Seonwoo until he wasn't. He wavered ever since the first call from JS. From "friendship 100% love zero" to "Beside Junseong, others are like friends or colleagues to me", he came a long way. And damn their dates were an absolute delight to see especially the one after call match. The sparks were flying everywhere. They really stole the whole show for me,

Moving on to Seonwoo, I won't lie at first it really felt like he was leading everyone on and I wasn't quite a fan of it but as I watched more of him, he grew on me. And the love triangle of Hyun Joon, Minsung and Hyun Jin, it was a bit of a mess. For most of the part except Hyun Joon, the other two seemed confused. They were certain one moment and the next moment they were not. It was honestly agonizing to see but I do get it that none of them were actually at fault. However, I liked Min Sung and Hyun Joon together. Their date was cute. But it's commendable how Hyun Joon stood up for himself. Also, Yunghee damn he was so consistent and his efforts towards SW melted me. And Jeongwook this guy deserves nothing but happiness. He is such a softball mahn. I wish each one of them a happy life. I hope they live it to their best and also find the one they love and who loves them back too.

Overall an enjoyable show that kept me awake one whole night and even after I caught up to the recent episodes I could not stop myself from binge watching it. Highly recommended!!

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Normally I am not into dramas like this. I'm so glad I made an exception and watched this drama. TSDOML is a emotionally fulfilling drama that made me somehow hopeful and happy through all the crying. The story isn't anything new or exceptional, but that is what makes it so great. The simplicity of the story is the charm or it all. The writer introduces characters that everyone can relate to if you are a parent, child or lover. It is beautifully portrayed even though some of it is long and there are more flashbacks than are necessary. I didn't give it a perfect score, because I sometimes felt like the director should just let the viewer feel with out the flashbacks. Other than that the drama was really good.

The acting is excellent. Unexpectedly the chemistry between Kam Woo Sung as Dong Ha and Choi Soo Young as Bom Yi is palpable. The age difference between them in the drama is 18 years and in real life is 20 years. I think some people might have a problem with it. However, Bom Yi is the kind of person in whom everyone would fall in love. Bom Yi's personality is well written and portrayed. Choi Soo Young is beautiful and seamlessly kept balance between optimism and depression I have totally fallen for Kam Woo Sung. His portrayal of loving strength is perfect. I would definitely want to be in a relationship with that kind of person. I am now going to find time to watch every thing he has done. The other actors are good too, but I came to not care much about anyone other than the main leads and the children,

The music is beautiful.

I won't rewatch this, but I can see someone might want to rewatch it.

I highly recommend this drama.

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Overall, I still liked the drama. There were times when the story seemed to be repetitive and the constant persecution and denial of Baek Kwanghyun's ability as a physician grated on my nerves. The medical procedures were interesting to watch and I suggest never to be caught eating during some episodes; however, the major focus was on the political intrigue which detracted from the story greatly. When the focus was on medicine, it was great; when it was on the machinations of the nobles and ministers, it could get downright boring. Would I recommend? Only for the hardcore medical saguek drama watchers.

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The Most Boring Watch Ever!!

You might think that this show is a simple love story where the female protagonist goes through blind dates & finds love, but it is not!!

The predictable tone of the show turns against it. We are looking at a female protagonist, who is most possibly in her late 30s. In the end, she turns to the tried & tested formula of finding love through blind dates. Her first date happens to be a boring, nerdy guy who wants to date with marriage as the endgame. The female lead is thrown off her plans, and decides to go on a second date with another guy- shockingly, the other one is strikingly handsome but arrogant. The storyline settles down in a boring tryst of the female lead evaluating both choices before settling for one. The romance seems mature, but the storytelling drags on and loses its substance midway. You are left wondering if it is worth spending your time watching a show that seems to have lost its purpose.

Read the complete article here-

https://kcdramamusings.wordpress.com/2026/04/06/the-practical-guide-to-love-series-review/#more-2371

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Warning: this film contains over the top violent scenes, torture, dismemberment, rape, disfiguration and many other bloody things so if you dislike extreme gory films then you’re definitely in the wrong place and you should stay away from this as far as you can.

Takashi Miike is one of my favorite directors. Being the lord of gore is one of the main reason why I like him and Ichi the Killer is absolutely the epitome symphony of violence Miike ever made. I am into bloody productions: mutilation, torturing, splatter-gore, cutting body parts to pieces, heads rolling and everything that belongs to the category; you can call me eccentric or a psycho but those are my personal references and a part of my real life job. However, the reason why I liked Ichi the Killer and many of Miike’s films is not the gore for the sake of gore, it’s true that I like that element but it’s not enough to make me like a film, there has to be a message and a meaning behind it all.

Ichi the Killer has a dark graphic storyline; it tells the story of Ichi, a psycho killer who split people to halves and sometimes to little pieces through razors in his shoes and Kagihara, the masochist who’s looking for the killer of his gang’s leader who happens to be Ichi. That’s the general plot but there’s much more behind the events and the characters’ development, the hidden meanings and the final reveal of the characters’ relationships was pretty amazing and let’s not forget the mind-boggling ending that keeps your imagination wild. None of this would have been done without the fantastic performances of the charismatic brilliant actor Asano Tadanobu and Omori Nao, who had to play a childish character at one second and a sadist killer at the next moment.

Now let’s talk about violence, the main lead in this film; it was creative and pretty well-made sadist type of violence. People call Miike a “cult” or a “sadist” director and he probably is, the way he shot the explicit gore scenes was truly brilliant with all of those cutting and blood’s splashing everywhere. It makes this film one of the kind if we consider how far he went with bloody scenes, I haven’t seen that anywhere before. What also makes the violence special is that it was entertaining, I found myself laughing at few scenes and no, it’s not because of my sick personality; there were some amazing dark humor moments inserted in this film because Miike can mix gore and comedy so well (think Dead or Alive trilogy).

Watch if:
-You like gory films with a meaningful storyline.
-You like Takashi Miike’s way of making films because this is probably his best work.
-You like bizarre Japanese productions.

Do not watch if:
-This is absolutely NOT for the faint of heart.
-You dislike anything that has to do with gore or you can only handle a little amount of it.
-You dislike over-the-top violence.
-You’re easily disturbed or grossed.

Ichi the Killer is the highest level of cinematically shot violence. It’s without doubt not for everyone, it can be a hit or a miss, some would find it a masterpiece and others would run away from the first few scenes. It’s bloody as hell and I completely loved it.

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Moral Bankruptcy, Bad Wigs, and Surprisingly Good Chemistry

Alright, gather round, chaos enthusiasts. This drama is not for the faint of heart or those who enjoy neatly wrapped moral lessons. The ethics in here are wobbly at best—like a toddler on roller skates—but that’s part of the fun. Each 10-minute episode feels like someone tried to condense three emotional breakdowns and one questionable life choice into a single espresso shot. And you know what? It works. I was hooked, blinking in disbelief but unable to look away.

Now, let’s talk production. The budget? Missing, presumed dead. The emperor’s acting was serving “community theatre villain with unpaid bills.” The OST has been reincarnated more times than the leads, and the wigs… spiritual experience of their own. Yet, somehow, none of this ruins the fun—it just adds flavor.

The leads are a special breed of unhinged. Their dynamic starts off as “toxic fumes and trauma bonding,” then slides into “kinda hot, actually.” The reincarnation twist adds spice: the FL remembers the first life, the ML does not, and together they prove that hate and love are basically just different toppings on the same emotional pizza. Both of them are morally carbonated, fizzing with chaos and guilt, but balanced enough to make you root for them anyway.

By the end, the FL does what most characters in revenge plots forget to do—she heals. She drops the hate, forgives the man who probably deserved to be set on fire at least once, and becomes his biggest cheerleader. Growth, baby. Toxic but touching.

And bro—if these two needed three lifetimes to get it right, how am I supposed to find my happiness in just one?!

In conclusion: it’s a short, chaotic, ethically grey pit stop between your prestige dramas. Expect messy emotions, shaky wigs, and a surprisingly wholesome aftertaste. Would I recommend it? Absolutely. Would I question your sanity if you liked it too much? Also yes.

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Weak start, getting better with every episode...

While we are flooded with short KBL mini-series, this is a serious TV production. And it shows. The main actors are already established and even the best friend is a character we have seen in other series as supporting role.

I like scifi and time travel always but I would lie if I would say the script does not have it's flaws. Sadly it has. Especially the color-blindness was not explained at all. Especially WHEN does he have it, is it just an after-effect due to his time travelling or did he had it all the time or did it develop gradually. It has such a prominent role in the story that I don't know WHY it was there. So it irks me still, why it wasn't explained at all. Also the fight between Woojin and his best friend was overly fast resolved without the proper appology. Teajun had the vibe of jealousy which was not done right. It gave me first the impression he is also interested in Woojin in a romantic way but that was just a fleeting moment and imho not necessary.

The cinematography was top notch giving the past and the "now" a different vibe - which it should. Also they did an amazing OST. The only gripe is the overly blurness of their first kiss in the beginning, this was a bit over the top. I disagree with some reviews here saying the did not have chemistry, I think they did. The glances and micro expressions did it for me, without the face to face aural confessions we are so used to. They don't need words to convey their feelings. In the finale Woojin said his smile had a sadness to it and yes, that's what was intended. This was a much more mature storyline compared to most school/university BLs we get to see nowadays which I appreciated.

Regardless of the flaws of the script, I enjoyed the series. It took almost a year after "Ball Boy Tactics" to get a proper KBL on the screen and I appreciated it. So while not perfect, it's worth the watch.

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LONG POST AHEAD.

Ok, so, if you want to watch a light-hearted series of solving crimes, and enjoy the atmosphere of The Republic of China in the mid-1920s, then this series is suitable for you. The cases were well-written and the deduction was logical. Lu Yao and Qiao Chusheng, two male characters in this series, also have a good chemistry. Qiao Chusheng provided Lu Yao a comfortable life by buying things and protecting Lu Yao, and Lu Yao solved the cases for him, improved his reputation. Their chemistry was a big plus. Beside that, the filming set and the clothes were beautiful and stylish.
Now, let's come to the minus side of this.
The female character, Bai Youning, a journalist, is very irritating. Yes, in the first few episodes, I could still empathize with her, and hope that she could have some developments. But she just didn't change. After 7-8 episodes, she still wrote tabloids about cases. She belittled Lu Yao, and even pretended that she was kidnapped, made Lu Yao and Qiao Chusheng worried to death and tried to save her. She was just too annoying, and her chemistry with Lu Yao was just unbearable. I could not understand how Lu Yao could love her, because all they did through nearly 32 episodes was bickering and fighting. But then, in episode 30, they kissed, episode 36, they got married and went to Paris, left Qiao Chusheng all alone in Shanghai after all. Poor Chusheng, he had done anything and everything to protect both Lu Yao and Bai Youning, but he was left alone in the end.
In conclusion, if you don't really mind about the ending, then this series is suitable for you. If you do, then please consider twice before watching it.

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RomCom, crime, historical drama, fantasy & Makjang make the dough for something standalone new

"Durian's Affair" is set among the wealthy - ´here´ (2023) and likewise ´there´ (long gone Joseon days). The time may have changed for Du Ri-an and her daughter-in-law, but the place has not. They are instantly catapulted from their Joseon days to recent today. Some of the wealthy family, who own the property today, have apparently reincarnated again in this family. They are especially well known to Du Ri-an. Now those involuntary time travelling ladies have to deal with the culture shock and the traumatic leap in time that actually seems as incredible as a dream, whereas in their own days they were actually in the midst of grieving over the loss of their beloved son/husband...

This bizarre, four-dimensional dramaturgical setting is providing a load of finely knitted entanglements and arising questions, yet unanswered. What had really happened back then? What's going on today in this family? Why the time jump? So what's next for the two Joseon-day ladies? How is everyone going to deal with this weird practical (and for some even emotional confusing) situation?

This production is full of zeitgeist of the 2020s, in which Anglicisms and Banmal (informal speech) are a matter of course, while in mass consciousness the curtain between different times and spaces has become extremely permeable. Yet, the icing on the cake: relationship dynamics in the fourth dimension. The people of that long gone time are not those of today. And yet... There are notions of their life back then, even if they cannot consciously remember it, as well as the option of making new decisions in their life today. Broken hearts, cupid's arrow, greed and passion, as well as a sense of responsibility or noblesse oblige... it's all mixed up through the perspective of the time-travelling ladies of days gone by. Situation comedy breaks through encrusted structures. The strangely insane is tossing and turning the minds of reincarnates and time travellers alike. Likewise, the strangely familiar is, too.

"Durian's Affair" is one of those KDramas that wants to break with established genres. The South Korean, but also the international market is currently being flooded with excessive KDrama productions. Thus there is increasingly space opening up for experiments... and that's what “Durian´s Affair” is, too. This KDrama is no RomCom, no crime thriller, no historical drama, no fantasy and also no classical Makjang. However, elements of each are richly included. Together they create something independently new. Anyone who is open to such an experiment should sit back, relax, shake off the usual expectations and get involved with the KDrama. It's entertaining. With some open questions that keep the suspension throughout all 16 episodes. There are also love interests. (Yes, plural.) All multi-layeredly entangled across time and space. Additionally, “Durian´s Affair” is even exuding a pleasant scent of humanness.

Be prepared for deliberate Sostenuto! The pacing is characteristic, since the production sticks consistently with the two outdated ladies from Joseon days. And in my opinion, those ladies are the ones who make the show as remarkable as it is. Regarding Du Ri-an and her daughter-in-law, all characters in the show as well as the audience alike can work themselves off. Nice!








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SIDENOTE: --- A reckoning with the lost virtues of a conservative South Korean society ---


“Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart.” -Confucius

In my opinion, "Durian's Affair" is kind of a reckoning with pseudo-virtues of a conservative South Korean society. Du Ri-an and her daughter-in-law are catapulted into Seoul 2023 and show the elite clan around the Dan family what true Confucian virtue actually means. At the same time, they are caricatures as those virtues come along as an almost unattainable ideal. The two ladies from back then embody i.e. propriety, righteousness, integrity, benevolence, wisdom and trustworthiness in such an uncompromisingly consistent way that one cannot help but be amazed. Confucian virtues are inextricably linked to patriarchy. But the lesson in this idealistic self-image of a dignified, respectful life is given to us by two women! Adaptably creative, intuitive, respectful and well grounded. Timelessly human, righteous, wise and trustworthy.

Du Ri-an and her daughter-in-law embody the Confucian virtues, but more than that, they have transcended them without realizing it and found an answer for what these (and every other virtue, too,) are actually intended for: A source of self-confidence as a human being and dignity, from which a person can draw strength and grounding - even in the most adverse situations! In general, this as a prerequisite for any human, compassionate, authentic encounters. Those virtues had to be (necessarily, involuntarily) adapted by those ladies into a completely foreign century. (And they prove themselves again and again in every one of the three different households of the Dan family.) So it is actually about the core essence of any virtue: providing a human being with dignity and inner values as a compass – reaching out with the power of respect and thus transcending boundaries of specified classes, too.

The two time travelers come across as idealized caricatures of the bygone Joseon period, that is generally considered virtuous. As foreign ladies in Seoul 2023, they embody rather unreal, almost exaggerated ideals of virtues that are still upheld and (as it turns out) actually largely lost. And yet, the two ladies prove it: true, authentic dignity can grow from the upright embodiment of these virtues. This dignity matches its dramaturgical equivalent in the overall deliberate Sostenuto pacing of the K-drama.

The timelessness of the old values stands in apparent contrast to the growing western internationalized coolness and the elitist arrogant version of the new nobility, which however seems to have lost any grounding unless it is for money. It is rather obvious: a bit more humanness, morality, integrity, wisdom and trustworthiness would be nice here and there. What is offered above all is a shiny facade cushioned by the bank account. More or less covered underneath you find any human topic irrespective of class or wealth: longing to be loved, self-doubt, jealousy, gender issues, fear of aging, love in old age, temptation...

In "Durian's Affair" the head of the family clan may be a (actually surprisingly liberal) woman. Homosexual love can become a topic here, too. And then there are a few more time-sensitive issues in play. Yet, authenticity and sincerity are primarily triggered by the two noble, upstanding Joseon ladies... They may remind one or the other just by their attitude towards life, that human dignity is deeply rooted inside - even though one may have lost or forgotten about it along the way.

Don’t get me wrong. I'm not standing here for Confucian virtues. And neither does the KDrama. But it holds a nicely presented mirror to South Korean society, which to this day may hide behind the 'old, time-honoured' values. For better or for worse. If so, then it might be crucial to fill these virtues with life. Message: The present is far from that. Fascination? Yes. Attraction? Perhaps. But embodied? No. Two ladies from the past must be landing in 2023. (And actually they had to carry their baggage at home back then - a baggage whose weight was characterized by a questionable virtue (also) of the people of that distant time.)

“Durian´s Affair” rejects any kind of idealization. How nice, indeed! Yet it upholds authenticity (as a new and needed virtue?), basic for any respectful human-to-human encounter. As a value! As the true virtue! And with that - against this background - "Durian's Affair" becomes quite a progressive KDrama production. What a delightful surprise!





PS:
And then, the ending. It is open for all you can imagine. Any direction. You choose, where to go next. Drama just like the human condition (la condition humaine.) Like the wheel of existence, fueled by Karma! It goes on and on... A never ending story of birth and rebirth...

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