Reviews

This was the first family drama and also the longest drama that I have ever watched. It was extremely popular in Korea so I decided to watch it and I'm so glad I did. This is one of my favorite dramas of the year and one of the best I have seen overall. The story focuses on newly married couple Bang Gwi Nam (Terry) and Cha Yoon Hee. After moving into a new apartment they discover that Terry's biological parents live across the hall. This is bad news for Yoon Hee because she purposely married the adopted Terry so she wouldn't want to deal with in-laws. The drama follows them as they try to juggle their married life, work and getting to know Terry's new family. Terry's parents, uncles and wives, three sisters and Yoon Hee's family are also given their own unique story lines.

There are many characters in this drama and tons of different story lines. Although there is a lot going on the story never really drags like some 16-20 episode dramas do. It's always interesting and something is always happening to hold your attention.

The acting was great from the whole cast. If I had to pick a favorite from the entire drama it would be Lee Hee Joon as Chun Jae Yong. He was amazing in this and stood out among the talented cast. He made me laugh and cry, not to mention his fantastic chemistry with Jo Yoon Hee.

The music was good and fit the drama nicely. I really liked the use of American pop when the scene took place in a restaurant or coffee house.

I loved this drama but due to the number of episodes and the monster that is my plan to watch list, I don't see myself re-watching it anytime soon.

Overall this is a great drama and definitely worth watching.

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This is my first review (don't know how to write it actually~) so I'll just share some of my scattered thoughts.

So.. this drama started really good and the young actors did an absolutely great job. Both story and acting made me feel like I was watching Wednesday-Thursday drama. Almost perfect... but...
My opinion changed as soon as they turned to the current Jang Kook and and Joon Soo... The acting was terrible. Though I watched some of Nam Goong Min's dramas and he seemed like a good actor, this drama made me change my mind...

I don't want to post any spoilers so I can't write anything about the ending.. Though you should keep in mind that as soon as you finish the last episode you'll feel lost - "is this end? where is the next episode". It feels like they just cut off the drama in the middle...

It's a pity that such a potentially good story was made into this... very disappointing....

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If you like TVN dramas then don't skip out on this gem because of the rating. When this drama first aired I couldn't get past two episodes, after picking it up again it took me less than 2 days to finish. This is has the lightness of a romcom and the realness of a family drama, I wouldn't categorize this a melodramatic. After the first two episodes the pace picks up with a decent amount of plot and not a lot of filler. The acting was real and spot on for all actors. They are all individuals with their own thoughts and don't feel like carbon copied personas. This is hands down my favorite role i've seen Lee Dong Wook in, he really captured the emotions of his chracters. This is also one of the first dramas that I've watched where there really is no antagonist. There are definitely characters put in place to be road blocks for the main couple, but none of them are evil everything they did was surprisingly human and matched to their chracters. I'm a sucker for a best friend turned lovers story and this one is going in my favorites list. I recommend you give this drama a go for at least 4 episodes before dropping it really is worth the watch.

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Where do I begin to tell the story of how great a drama can be? Because this drama was great. Although it made me spend 20 hours of my life on an emotional rollercoaster, I can't complain because it was just so good. There were many scenes that broke my heart and a lot more that were so full of suspense that I was really anxious most of the time. Even when the writers were kind enough to endow us with a nice and fluffy scene, because that only meant that something really awful is going to happen.

Even though there was a lot of angst, I found myself smiling happily and even laughing out loud because some scenes were just ridiculously funny and just made me happy. Those scenes were very welcomed breathers between all this anxiousness and nervousness.

I actually liked all the characters (except the root of all evil Choi Jin Cheol) and the way they all were intertwined. Their relationships were interesting to follow and I was especially fond of the relationship between Sun Woo and Young Hoon, Sun Woo and Chul Min and of course Sun Woo and Min Young.
The interactions between each one of them and that everyone has some kind of a relationship with the others was great. Especially since we didn't know from the very beginning where they knew each other from.

To be perfectly honest I am not such a big fan of the time-travel-theme. But I found myself enjoying this drama very much. Although I found the beginning and the ending somehow confusing or just too much for my brain to grasp I didn't think that the whole time travel thing was difficult to follow. Even though that's often the case in such dramas.
But I don't think that not understanding the ending is a problem because I believe that this was intended by the writers. Everyone can interpret the ending the way he wants. There are many possibilities. And depending on which ending you choose it's either a happy or a sad ending.
For my part I still don't know if it has a bad or a good ending. But the last episode made me equally happy and anxious. But I guess the happiness or the funny parts in the last episode exceed the sad ones.

Nine_ Nine Times Time Travel is one of the best dramas that I have watched. It is awesome. The story and the characters are great and for me there is nothing more to wish for. Although at first I wasn't sure if it would be worth my time I am so happy I gave it a chance.
And I think that's also what you ought to do.

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The Ten Commandments of KBLs

These are the commandments that have been handed down to us by the gods of Korean BLs. They shall be the commandments by which any present and all future KBLs may be judged. (N. B. See below for an explanation of my ratings.)

1. Thou shalt not kiss. Thou shalt not, in any meaningful sense of that word, "kiss". Thou mayst, however, press thy lips against another man’s as thou wouldst a leper’s.

2. Thou shalt not utter the word ‘gay’. For it is a sin. Thou mayst love another man, but if any man shall ask of thee if thou dost, thou mayst answer, “I like not men, I like only you.”

3. Thou shalt refrain from all carnal desires. For it is a sin. The submissive shall resist all attempts at intimacy, and the dominant may not pursue the submissive unless it is known that all his attempts shall prove fruitless. (Aptly mayst thou call this 'ironical'.)

4. Thou shalt respect the difference in height between the dominant and the submissive. Six inches will suffice, a foot too much, three inches too little. As below, so above.

5. Remember thou that there exist only three acceptable settings for a KBL. School, university, and office. For these do encompass all of life. Thou shalt invest thy characters in white jackets with blue borders if at school, leather jackets and hooded sweaters at university, and ill-fitted suits for work.

6. Remember thou that there exist only three acceptable plots for a KBL. Friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, and (adopted) brothers to lovers. Thou shalt entertain no other plots besides these.

7. Thou shalt employ no actor that is not thin, wanting of water, and starved for nutriments. The actors must have defined chests, six (or better yet, eight) pack abdominals, and flawless skin. Thou mayst coat the skin with three inches of wall paint to whitewash all flaws.

8. The writer shall inscribe in each tale at least one instance of timejump, forced separation or miscommunication. The unimaginative shall employ all three.

9. Thou shalt choose from among the following ornaments at least three to embellish thy tale: the slipping towel, the towel bath, an accidental fall or catch, sleeping-beauty false-kiss, somnolent confession, gentle lock-of-hair restoration, alcoholic amnesia, and rain-born fever.

10. Thou shalt by no means indicate homophobia in thy tale — in this, our most homophobic realm — unless it furthereth thy plot and our cynical purpose. Friends and family shall be universally supportive, unless it force a separation between thy characters. Remember thou always that this is a world of pandering fantasy, not reality.

Biblical Proportions:
Commandments Broken: 1 (!!!).
Commandments Obeyed: 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.

Ratings:
*For the first commandment broken, I'll add a whole extra star. Again, what?!? They're allowed to do this in KBLs?
*For each of the commandments obeyed, I'll deduct half a point from the story, which brings it down to 1.
*I'll give the cast a 6, purely because I'm in love with Jung Jae Bin. But because I didn't get to see him shirtless, one point deducted. As for Jeon Yu Bin, did he have to look so constipated all the time?
*Was there music in this show? I don't remember.
*I'll give 6 stars for 'rewatch value', because I'm going to watch that kiss over and over and over again.

Reader's Digest:
DO SAY: I am the Lord, thy God.
DON'T SAY: Thou shalt lie with mankind as with womankind. That is love. Scratch that. That's fucking sexy.

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China Continues To Dominate Historical BL, a Masterpiece With Romance, Betrayal, & Reincarnation

When it comes to BL + historical drama, once again China proves that no other country does it better. Our first historical BL drama premiere of 2026 absolutely did not disappoint. From the very first scene, the dark snowy night, breathtaking costumes, stunning cinematography, brutal martial arts fights, and emotional atmosphere, this drama pulls you in instantly and never lets go.

The opening episodes are heartbreaking. Watching princes destroy their own flesh and blood for the throne is cruel, tragic, and emotionally intense. Every political move feels dangerous, every conversation hides betrayal, and the palace tension keeps getting better with every episode.

But the real heart of this drama is Fifth Prince Yin Qi and Pei Yanzhi. Childhood best friends turned enemies turned lovers is already one of the best tropes ever, but this drama takes it to another level. The pain between them feels so real. What hurts the most is that they only realize how deeply they love each other when death is already standing in front of them. By the time they finally understand their feelings… it’s already too late.

And then fate gives them a second chance.

Imagine waking up three years in the past, discovering your mother is still alive, and realizing you still have one chance to save the person you love most. Sometimes you never truly understand how much someone means to you until they’re gone, whether it’s your mother, your soulmate, or the life you failed to protect. Heaven literally places fate back into Yin Qi’s hands and asks him: what will you change this time?

The reincarnation storyline is SO GOOD. It adds regret, longing, pain, and desperation to every single scene. Watching Prince Yin Qi try to rewrite destiny while uncovering hidden truths connected to Pei Yanzhi completely destroyed me emotionally. Their chemistry is incredible, every glance, every argument, every quiet emotional moment feels meaningful.

This drama truly has everything:
- One of the best NC scenes (watch end of ep 5)
- Stunning cinematography
-Beautiful OST/music
-Emotional storytelling
-Incredible martial arts scenes
-Palace politics and betrayal
-Reincarnation and second chance romance
-Childhood best friends to enemies to lovers
-Tragic love mixed with hope
-One of the best BL chemistries in historical drama

The visuals are gorgeous, the acting is powerful, and the romance hurts in the best possible way. This is not just another BL drama, it’s a full emotional experience.

They didn’t hold back with the kissing and intimate scenes, and the chemistry felt natural, passionate, and intense. I was not expecting that scene at the end of Episode 5 at all; it felt very erotic and emotional, especially for a historical drama from China. You could even hear the moaning, and everything was shot in such an intimate and beautiful way.

I also love the second couple, the crazy and evil Crown Prince and his servant. Their intimate scenes are wild and add a chaotic, exotic energy to the series

If you love historical BL with angst, reincarnation, political intrigue, forbidden love, and soulmates fighting against fate itself, this is a MUST WATCH.

Another Chinese BL masterpiece.

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Some comparisons between the novel and the drama

I don't hardly ever write reviews, but I really love this drama. So much so I went and read the novel (I can understand about 90%), and then watched the drama again (okay maybe even twice more!) Just wanted to point out a few things...

Beware lots and lots of spoilers so don't read on if you don't want to be spoiled.

- Lots of reviewers didn't like the second half of the drama because they like the ML's personality in the first half more. In fact I think his personality remains quite consistent, it's just how he actions his thoughts and feelings that had changed, and in fact the drama has stuck true to the novel. In the novel ML does become a lot more assertive and dominating in actions (in fact even more so in the novel than portrayed in the drama IMHO) Throughout the story ML is quit rigid and likes things a certain way (his autism traits), it's just that in the first half in the drama he was lacking in self confidence because of his challenged vision, preferring to withdraw and felt unable to assert himself. In the second half his business dealings (and in the drama his new ability to see) gave him the confidence to act on this thoughts and feelings. Even though his actions changed I felt he stayed true to character.

- I think Evan Lin actually did an amazing job as our ML. He conveyed the tortured emotions as well as the confused first love and then the dominating boyfriend all quite well without making it cliched. I could see the layers of emotions as the ML grew through the drama. I already feel the drama has toned down the ML"s character quite a bit to make it more palatable as a drama. In the novel he smoked and drank A LOT and was even more forceful. In fact at times the narrative called him a "Bo Guan" which is a term for "violent/forceful dictator" usually used for a king/emperor.

- The scene where ML steals a kiss from FL whilst she was asleep made quite a few viewers unhappy. In the novel he actually goes a bit further, tries to taker her top off but stops himself in time, which is why he stomps off and splashes cold water on his face whilst he admonishes himself for his bad actions in the bathroom.

-Ditto the scene where he comes out of the shower in a robe and they make jokes about it falling down. In the novel he was half naked only with a towel around his waist. Remember in the novel his is still visually impaired so he can't see his towel. They joke back and forth about the towel falling and the FL says "she has seen him in less" and embarasses his secretary.

- The resolution of FL's hallucinations of conversations with her friend was not very clear in the drama. In the novel the FL is quite heavily pregnant and is presumptively in premature labour , her waters burst and ML rushes her to hospital. (In the drama where she was getting tummy pains whilst ML's scandal broke) She becomes unconscious as she is wheeled into ? surgery. That's when she sees her friend who says good bye to her, that now FL has her husband and baby she won't be needed any more. FL asks if she will see her again and her friend answers "probably not" and FL wakes, which in the drama is where ML grabs her hand as she wakes up.

- The relationship with between the ML and his step mum is also only alluded to but not explicitly clarified in the drama. They were presumably in some sort of a relationship before she married his father. FL finds this out from her the senior braodcaster woman she works with at the station, who in the novel also likes the ML. This is one of the major factor that causes the ML and FL to break up. FL is really quite jealous of ML's step mum and is a big point that was stopping her from getting back with him, because she felt that she would always come second to her. The scene where she gets drunk and hugs the beer bottle like a baby, in the book she questions if ML likes "her" better, and the reason why she makes him say "you only love me". When the scandal broke about ML being the mysterious lyricist there were also rumours about him having an illicit affair with his step mum which is why they were swamped by journalists.

- On second watch of the drama you get to pick up little things that make you appreciate the production team even more. When he becomes the CEO, the ML always has one single white rose in a vase on his desk. This alludes to the one single white rose he gives the FL, even when she thinks he should be romantic and give her a large bouquet. The MP3 the ML listens to, with all the songs and memories of her reading to him, is an old style airpod, and in line with that it always has the wired headphones attached, whereas when he listens to her radio show on his phone he is shown to be wearing airpods. The lyrics to the songs ML writes are also perfect, especially the one he writes just after she leaves him.

Despite the differences I've pointed out the drama team did an amazing job sticking to the plot and feel of the drama. I found the secondary couple a bit boring and the FL's mum hard to watch sometimes, but this is the only drama I have ever given a 10 to on MDL. Thanks for reading!

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I wonder if I am the only person in the entire Kdrama universe who didn't completely love this drama. Waikiki was a funny feel good show with many likable characters and I would still recommend checking it out for yourself. It's just that for me it wasn't a masterpiece.

I liked the beginning of the show and I really liked the last couple of episodes, but I actually struggled to push through the middle part. Somewhere around 11- 16 episodes, I put the drama on hold. There just weren't enough events to really push the story forward and the funny moments weren't enough to keep me going. I didn't really feel like I need to know what is going to happen next.

I don't know why, but I wasn't a fan of the way how Dong Gu's character was written. I liked how he was supposed to be the counter balance for the happy-go-lucky Joon Ki and Doo Shik in the first couple of episodes, but I didn't like him being childish and petty around Yoon An later on. I also wasn't particularly fond of the love triangle in this show. Even though I can't deny that Waikiki has a lot of really funny moments, I found the humor to be a bit too slapstick for my taste. The bodily function humor and the rivalry between the two male leads just wasn't my cup of tea.

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Throwback to Classic K-Dramas

This was fun!

It was very classic K-Drama. The cliché of a rich guy butting heads with and getting humbled by the person he'll fall head-over-heels for. All with slapstick humor, cheesy lines, and easy music included.

What was particularly good about this was the time they allowed for just general bonding. Before our MLs even get together we are already convinced that they get along and have gotten to see them interact and bond enough to make their feelings believable and have depth to them.

If you're looking for a good-time drama with some occasional intriguing bits, you'll enjoy this.

Side Note: I'm so glad these guys got a chance to be in another drama together and show off their chemistry with a better story.

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could have been amazing

Overall: imagine if Muffin was actually a police officer and we saw her beat up some baddies in one of her outfits, or what if the mafia boss was actually a secret huge romantic at heart? There were so many ways the writing could have been innovative with this premise, but the cliche writing really ruined it, especially in episode 6. It is based off of "The Ideal Relationship" which I have read but I reviewed the series on its own merits. 8 episodes about 45 minutes each. Aired on iQIYI.

Content Warnings: deaths/murders, non con touching/attempted sexual assault, violence, drugging, manhandling, stalking, attempted murder, kidnapping, manipulation

What I Liked
- the intro credits style was an homage to the source material
- how Guy was set up as a queer character from the beginning
- the video gaming sequence, unfortunately we only saw 1 sequence
- cute/sweet moments
- Guy showed agency
- laughed a few times (although mostly at huge plot holes/nonsense writing)
- Wahl's girlfriend in episode 6
- (neutral) comedy noises

Room For Improvement
- cliched/nonsense writing (i.e. Tew's idiotic "plans", Guy probably had 6 bullets in his revolver but seemed to shoot waaaayyyy more than that in episode 8)
- Kenji's backstory makes zero sense, maybe if Tew had used him as a human shield then it would have made sense, they made him into a cliche cartoon villain with nonsensical actions/motivations, even episode 7 didn't make enough sense for his motivation, also way too much screentime taken by Kenji
- the voice over was a fast way to set up a character/beginning but not my favorite way to start a series
- the music was sometimes not what I would have preferred, also think they could have removed the comedy sound effects and just let the comedy come through on its own
- tropey (ie multiple accidental fall and catches)
- avoiding physical affection in episode 5 (although Guy was better by the end)
- cliche plot point in episode 6
- Wahl had way too much screen time, needed to devote some of that to Guy/Tew building their relationship

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A substantial, mature and exceptionally beautiful love story

For me this is my highlight of 2023.

As a phenomenal firework of quiet nuances, “Tell Me That You Love Me” is exuding soulful warmth in graceful silence while creating a soothing atmosphere that takes root deep in the heart. Accompanied by a soundtrack with pulling effect, that could hardly be more harmonious, sincere feelings are conveyed via looks and gestures, while words and thoughts are frequently communicated in sign language, thus telling a story, that knows how to gently touch the audience.

It's not about appearance, facade, coat and make-up, but about essence. Approaching the substantial is exactly what makes this production so exceptional for a KDrama. With Jung Woo-sung, who is once again breathing pure authenticity, certainly a perfect casting for the ML. He also seems to having actually communicated in sign language most of his life. But Shin Hyun-been was also able to effortlessly impress me with her reflected presence. What a couple!

Calm aesthetics and gentle pace intensify the profoundness of the encounters, which opens up spaces for the essential. Even if trenches between the worlds of the hearing and the deaf may be deep and ample at times, loving encounter is still possible. Even if the feelings for each other may be deep and honest, specific barriers inevitably remain. “Tell Me That You Love Me” is gently approaching the dilemma - a desire to face the challenge with confidence, but on the other hand the fear of failure considering the barriers and therefore wanting to run away.

I´d say, anyone who can open up to this rather idiosyncratic “language” of this KDrama will be rewarded by a substantial, mature and exceptionally beautiful love story.

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Unexpectedly Funny, Underrated GEM!

I seriously went into this drama without any expectations, but I liked the ML and I felt sorry that he got paired up so badly in his past dramas which I mostly dropped.

This one started out pretty standard. Set is ... super fake. Those bad wigs especially on the ML when his hair is down made him look so bad. However, if you at least make it by ep 8 then you'll see that this is more of a comedy Xian Xia like a Starry love type. ML's voice (dubbed or not), suits the character very well, gives him that sarcastic feel. The drama does get serious as it progresses so less comedic moments later on.

Story quality is way better than the set quality. There are quite a few interesting supporting characters with sufficient screen time to build up their characters as well. I think if you are looking for new blood (young pretty faces) this is not it.

But if you want:
1. A great actor that can portray this kind of semi bad, inner good, partially sarcastic character
2. Enjoyable dialogue and not the typical ML/FL will just focus on Love and nothing else matters
2. Interesting supporting characters
3. No Nasty 3rd wheel can't get a clue but just trying to steal the leads away & wasting screen time

Then this is a great watch!

Fav. Moments:
Ep 8 FL won't die. Probably the funniest Ep
Ep 26 ML's realization. Hit the spot! OST is killing it! ML .... TY for being the ML!
Ep 29 The show down
Ep 32 ML's guilt proposal followed by the makeup scene

Not so Favorite:
The Ending ... It was just meh....
Then I find out there were supposed to be 6 more episodes they cut off. Y Y Y Iqiyi you cut off good dramas? So wrong....

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Okay so first of all I need to mention that the lead couple were so cute together and their acting was on point the whole time.
There's also the cute side characters/couple that are so adorable.
I love how both the main lead would do anything for anyone they cared/loved n how much they loved each other it was just so sweet many dramas always have something where there's some kind of trust issue or where ones a little too jealous to the point of overboard but this was just amazing.
Now onto my lovely prince zhan many may not like his character bc of what he did but then i felt like he's such a sweet boy he was willing to do anything for Qing Chen but sadly he's just a second lead :(
The only thing that I didn't like was like slow subbing which is not the dramas fault at all but then I had to wait forever bc dramefever the only one that got the licenses for it took a whole moth to freaking start subbing the first few episodes n that the director had to add duo xia who wanted so desperately to be with ling at one point but it was good that he never swayed for her or anything lol cause I would've flipped out if he broke Qing Chen's heart in anyway when she did all of that just for him.
Overall I'm just in love with this dramas so yes I definitely recommend this drama if you want to watch something that brings out all your emotions but not annoyingly bad or just sad like some other shows that I've watched. Btw the music tho it's amazing I've noticed that Chinese dramas always have amazing music to accompany their shows lol none of it are like ever bad.

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All the world's a stage.

The Double is a dark and melodramatic soap opera about revenge and regret. It is a soap opera to end all soap operas in terms of high theatrics, spinning hussies, piercing death glares, shocking twists and the sweet, savage satisfaction of retribution. To best enjoy this, don't look too hard at it as the narrative is littered with logic and plot holes and absurdly dramatic, historically impossible scenes. The male lead Duke Su flirts with breaking the fourth wall repeatedly to urge us to just watch the play, a reminder that all the world's a stage and we should just suspend disbelief.

Xue Fangfei, the most elegant and cultured lady in the capital, is cruelly betrayed and dumped in a shallow grave. She is rescued by Jiang Li, the Chancellor's daughter who is wrongly condemned and banished by her family to a convent. Fangfei assumes Jiang Li's identity and returns to the capital; vowing to clear both their names and make their enemies pay. She is aided by the enigmatic and powerful Duke Su who helps her because she intrigues him and could prove useful to him down the road. The romance that develops between them unfolds at a leisurely pace as they each have high stakes agendas that predictably converge.

Duke Su must be be every scorned woman's ultimate fantasy "consolation" prize. This magnificent specimen of manhood is highly born, tall, dark, handsome, powerful, and with a diabolical mind to match Xue Fangfei's. The icing on the cake is this sexy beast that wields a fan more effectively than a sword does not come saddled with nasty in-laws. Wang Xingyue's potent portrayal of Duke Su is spot on from the tinge of humor that belies his stern expression, his double entendre laced dialogues to how in unguarded moments his eyes devour Xue Fangfei with almost indecent longing. Despite the seductive build up and combustive chemistry between the main leads, the ultimate pay-off to their slow burn courtship falls far short of wild and wicked and only delivers a chaste candle-gate moment.

Even though I shipped Duke Su and Xue Fangfei immediately, I appreciate how Fangfei takes the time to rage, to mourn her loss and to get closure so that she can properly move on. To me, Wu Jinyan obviously looks older than Wang Xingyue, butI think this casting makes sense. Xue Fangfei is a woman who lost everything; her reputation, her lover, her entire family. That kind of shocking devastation would age anyone tremendously and Wu Jinyan's ravaged, strained and wild wide-eyed expression in the early episodes is brilliantly in character. The narrative does not shy away from presenting her marriage as one that had depth and substance. Thus they are still in perfect unison when they play their haunting duet; a song of profound loss, resentment and regret. Wu Jinyan plays the avenging angel so perfectly I got unholy enjoyment out of watching Shen Yurong squirm knowing that Xue Fangfei, who knows him better than he knows himself, is coming for him.

Shen Yurong is a character that I find hard to be that angry with because as it turns out, his perfidy results in such a massive upgrade for Xue Fangfei. Liang Yongqi really slays in this complex role of a promising, rising young official who catches the eye of the wrong woman and ends up betraying his ideals. He is quite a pitiful creature who trades in domestic bliss for living dangerously at the beck and call of an abusive, insecure and bat-shit crazy spinning shrew that his own dear mother pimps him out to. I can't decide if I pity him or despise him more. Because in truth, he already lost the moment he chose to betray his muse and the love of his life. The moment of peak retribution is when it dawns upon him what a prize he lost and is forced to face the limits of his own character. I thoroughly enjoyed how the narrative peels away the many layers of hypocrisy, ambition, sophistry and duplicity to reveal a weak, impotent coward who lacked the courage of his convictions. To me, this is the most complex and best acted role in this drama.

Even though I have high praise for Li Meng's portrayal of the deranged Wanning, I have little sympathy for this character or her shocking villain origin story. Victimhood does not entitle her to help herself to someone else's husband or kill with such impunity. When she had power and free will, she chose to be King Cheng's pawn, no one forced her. Likewise, I have no sympathy for Ji Shuran or her choices. In general, I dislike these attempts to whitewash villains or somehow rationalize their wicked ways. Bad stuff happened to Xue Fangfei and Jiang Li as well. But they looked for justice without turning into monsters as a result. While Xue Fangfei's revenge, if you can even call it that is very satisfying, Jiang Li's left me feeling bereft. Ultimately Xue Fangfei is a character that lost nothing and gained everything. It is Jiang Li who is truly the injured party and even though she is vindicated, all the king's horses and all the king's men can't put her together again.

Despite the addictive start, this drama loses momentum by episode 30. The storytelling lingers too long on weakest Jiang family plots arcs. They are boring and unoriginal, borrowing heavily from what were also weak arcs in Princess Weiyoung. Jiang Li's cousins are archetypal characters that were not complicit in Jiang Shuran's treachery. I find it unfathomable the drama chose to focus on their tawdry squabble over a callow rogue instead of uncovering the many layers of the far more fascinating Duke Su. As a result, this character with so much early promise ends up not as well developed as Shen Yurong and Wanning. To add insult to the injury, almost as an after thought, he is featured front and center in a baffling truncated half episode final arc that serves up gratuitous angst and some unearned and unjustified pin-cushioning of good characters. It is nothing short of a grift to squeeze money from viewers for a mundane glimpse of domestic bliss. As far as I am concerned this drama ends where it should a bit past the halfway point of the final episode. All the rest is dross.

This is a super addictive soap opera that doesn't hold up under close scrutiny. Where it excels is in serving up high drama and angst with super cool and satisfying but absurd vignettes that don't necessarily advance the plot. Nonetheless I was happy to rate this better than 8.5 until it started to sag and waffled into a lame and wishy washy ending that leaves me no choice but to call it an 8.0/10.0.

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Never-Ending Summer, Never-Ending Misunderstanding

I finally finished Never-Ending Summer, and after reading so many comments, I honestly feel like a lot of people completely misunderstood the story.

Everyone keeps asking, "Why did Zhou Wan leave?" "Why didn't she chase after Lu Xixiao?" "The plot doesn't make sense."

But I don't think the problem is the writing.

I think people expect every romance to have simple answers and happy endings. This drama was never trying to be that. It was about trauma, guilt, impossible choices, and how love alone can't magically fix everything.

Let's start with Zhou Wan.

People judge her for the choices she made, but very few people stop to think about why she made them.

When she was only ten years old, her father died after his business failed. Then her own mother abandoned her and even took the insurance money that should have gone to Zhou Wan and her grandmother. Her grandmother became the only family she had left, and a few years later, she became seriously ill.

Imagine being fifteen or sixteen years old and realising the only person who has ever truly loved you might die because you can't afford surgery.

No teenager should have to carry that responsibility.

Zhou Wan was one of the smartest students in school. She always ranked near the top of her class, but she never really got to be a child. Her childhood ended the day her father died, and her mother walked away.

So yes, she became desperate.

When she discovered the connection between her mother and Lu Xixiao's father, she didn't immediately think, "Great, I'll use this."

She resisted it.

She kept telling herself she didn't want to become a bad person. She felt guilty before she even approached Lu Xixiao. She knew what she was considering wasn't right, but she also believed it was the only chance she had to save her grandmother.

Was it morally right?

No.

Was it understandable?

Absolutely.

Now let's talk about Lu Xixiao because people act like Zhou Wan ruined his life, when the drama itself tells us that isn't true.

His trauma didn't begin with Zhou Wan.

It began the day he watched his mother die by suicide right in front of him.

No child should ever witness something like that.

On top of that, the adults around him failed him completely. His father cheated on his mother, and instead of protecting her, the family cared more about maintaining appearances than her happiness. Their household never really felt like a family. It felt like a business empire where emotions always came second.

Of course, that would leave scars.

Then Zhou Wan entered his life.

For the first time since losing his mother, he slowly started smiling again. He trusted someone. He allowed himself to love someone. She became a place where he finally felt safe.

She didn't create his healing overnight, but she became a huge part of it.

Then came the stabbing incident.

People forget how much guilt Zhou Wan was already carrying before that happened. She blamed herself for approaching Lu Xixiao under false pretences, even if her reasons came from desperation rather than malice.

The stabbing only made that guilt worse.

Then his grandfather threatened her and made it very clear that she should leave Lu Xixiao alone.

At that point, Zhou Wan genuinely believed everyone's life would be better without her.

She looked at Lu Xixiao and saw someone who had money, status, opportunities, and a powerful family. She couldn't see that emotionally, he was just as broken as she was.

So she left.

Not because she stopped loving him.

Because she loved him enough to believe he'd be happier without her.

Was she wrong?

Yes.

But she didn't know she was wrong.

That's what makes the story tragic.

Then people ask why she didn't chase him after the 10-year reunion?
Honestly...why would she?

She was the one who walked away because she believed she was protecting him. If she suddenly came back acting as if nothing had happened, it would completely contradict everything her character believed.

One of my favourite moments in the drama is when Lu Xixiao finally tells Zhou Wan the truth.

He tells her that she was never the reason for his nightmares, his insomnia, or his emotional struggles.

Those began the day his mother died.

If anything, she was the one person who made those nightmares quieter. She wasn't the cause of his pain.

She was his healing.

When she disappeared, those old wounds simply reopened.

That's a huge difference, and I think a lot of viewers overlook it.

I also don't understand why some people insist on comparing this drama to other romances where the female lead spends years chasing the male lead. These are completely different characters in completely different situations. Zhou Wan leaving because of guilt and then refusing to come back because she still believed it was better for him is perfectly consistent with who she is.

Not every love story needs grand gestures.

Sometimes the biggest act of love is letting someone go because you truly believe they'll have a better life without you, even if you're completely wrong.

That's why the ending worked for me.

Love didn't magically erase ten years of pain.

It gave them the chance to finally understand each other.

Lu Xixiao understood why Zhou Wan left.

Zhou Wan finally understood that she had never been his burden.

She had always been his comfort.

Neither of them was perfect.

Both of them made mistakes.

Both of them hurt each other.

But that's exactly why they felt real.

This drama never asked me to agree with every decision the characters made.

It asked me to understand them.

And to me, that's what made Never-Ending Summer so unforgettable.

⭐ Rating: 10/10.

Sometimes the best stories aren't the ones where everyone makes the right choices.

They're the ones where every choice, even the wrong ones, makes perfect sense once you understand the people making them.

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