Reviews

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KOREA FINALLY DELIVERED another masterpiece <3

This will be a tough one. Really. I was having high expectations for this series, and I am extremely glad they were able to adapt the manhwa this well. As I said in another review, the Korean LGBTQ+ industry is growing and improving its series in terms of production and duration. I´d even say that “Semantic Error” is the most outstanding turning point in this year so far. Alongside "History 3: Trapped", this series would be my first choice to recommend to somebody if they asked me about good series including the love of two men. Why? Read below.


PRODUCTION / Music >> 9.0
Saying that nothing in this series is extra outstanding, and that “Semantic Error” is just like any other Korean LGBTQ+ series would be an incomplete statement. Let me elaborate on this thought:

While the filming itself is getting closer to the normal standard of Korean dramas, the details and highlights are much more present. This is especially noticeable in the use of colours and lights at the ending of Episode 5. The production is finally focusing on the Interplay of all components, both in music, action and especially in the visual. Additionally, the story feels less rushed than usual Korean LGBTQ+ dramas and I am sure we can expect similar dramas to be produced soon. However, - without sounding too pessimistic - as awesome as this drama is, setting "Semantic Error" as a standard could lead to unpleasant disappointments ... Yes. It is that good.


PLOT >> 8.5
The entire series and the original work are unique and exciting to watch and read. When focusing on the adaption I especially enjoyed the energetic but not rushed pacing and the humour of this series. Both characters are written as "extraordinary" people who had an unfortunate beginning in their relationship which makes this a case of ENEMIES TO LOVERS ... AHHHH…excuse me. This was the easiest way to show that I am a sucker for that trope. Honestly/ Personally, if that is not the most non-toxic/ non-forced ETL love story then I don´t know which one is.

Another detail to mention is the focus on the contrary of both personalities. While one of them is a famous and adored extrovert, the other one is an anti-social and overseen introvert who cares a lot about a systematic and calm daily routine. Jang Jae Young‬ and Chu Sang Woo‬ are as different as one can be. They are incomparable but still such an exciting match.


ACTING / CAST >> 9.0
The main leads both did an outrageous job, and I am glad Park Seo Ham and Park Jae Chan were chosen as the main leads, because they match with the characters, thus the entire series is harmonious and gets close to the overall harmonizing couple in the manhwa. Considering that both Park Jae Chan and Park Seo Ham are originally idols makes their performance is even more outstanding. I also love that both support the show a lot on social media, giving no f*** about the haters. It´s something I highly want to point out because in some Korean LGBTQ+ shows I always had the feeling they were forced to promote it but these two (Park Seo Ham & Park Jae Chan) seem to do it willingly. No. These two seem to have a lot of fun doing it. :D

The Supporting Cast also showed a solid performance in their roles. I can't think of anything that I would have found disturbing or unfitting. Well done. Because we don´t get a lot of insight into other characters, it´s hard for me to review their performance. They all did well!


Rewatch Value 9.5 / 10 + OVERALL 9 / 10
“Semantic Error” is the most outstanding turning point of Korean LGBTQ+ dramas this year so far and I am glad that so many people support and enjoy this show. Personally, it´s one of the best adaptions/ overall shows I came across. No doubts!

“Semantic Error sucks and is just like any other Enemies to Lovers story, duh...”

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When you order prime rib and get spare ribs instead.

I expected Youku's short "Revenge" series to be a xianxia in disguise featuring the many hot re-incarnations of "The Best-est of the Chest-ests" Dai Gaozheng in all his topless smoking hot glory. If that is also what you are here for, let me save you some time because Bride's Revenge is nothing but chest bait. In this incarnation as Mu Anhe, Dai Gaozheng is over-dressed and so camera shy he is in hiding for over a third of the drama. When he reappears, it is uncomfortably obvious there is no spark between the leads. While their chemistry is sweet and loving, it notably lacks the passion and intensity of the previous incarnation.

The plot is uncannily similar to Maid's Revenge where two related men Mu Ancheng and Mu Anhe duke it out over the family assets and a woman. Except this time a bunch of "green tea bitches" scheme, bitch slap and scratch each others' eyes out over a scrawny and unappetising scumbag. That entire arc of not very smart people trying to out dumb each other made ten minutes feel like an hour. Even a happy ending cannot save this drama. The dissatisfaction level is just like when you order prime rib and get spare ribs instead. Give this one a pass unless you are super bored and need a quick Dai Gaozheng fix. And in that case, just watch the last three episodes or better yet, rewatch Maid's Revenge.

I generously rate this 3.0/10.0 because Dai Gaozheng is still the chesty definition of hotness.

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I've completely lost faith in humanity after watching this drama. How the absolute fuck does it have an 8.9 rating? Are all the happy reviewers some kind of bots that mass rated it with such a high score and sang hallelujah because after suffering through 30 episodes of this shit, I really am confused.

This drama is a total hypocrite. It tells one thing and shows something entirely different. Supposedly, it tells the viewers that it's against patriarchy with the 'girls can be great at computer science too' bullshit. It preaches 'brains over beauty' and all that spirtual crap however, it 'shows' an entirely different story; for this drama, in its core is wholly patriarchal. The main heroine only truly gets acclaimed for her beauty and even though she is supposed to be this smart person with a trillion scholarships, we don't really see proof of her intellect. Sure, she wins a few games against other weak ass females but the moment she goes against a powerful male opponent, she loses which is why her MegaGenius boyfriend has to sit by her and dictate all the moves and only then, she claims victory. Like okay?

The male character is honestly, so overhyped and again, if we really try to find the heroine's contribution to the plot, you'll find none. She is supposed to be this brilliant computer junky and yet, when she does the internship (in a company filled with men) her sole job is to bring food, drinks and matresses to the guys who work day and night. Like??

So even though, on surface it looks like this unique drama with a never before seen plot, in its core, it is still filled to the brim with superficiality.

Now, lets talk about the cast and characters. The main guy is literally a robot. Like, the kid has no emotional depth whatsoever and so clearly the actor didn't have to tire himself by actually acting because all his role requires is to be a pretty but expressionless face. To make matters worse, he's a chauvinistic a-hole. And not in the 'bad boy' way, where you love and hate them, no, in his case you're just annoyed by him. He is literally so perfect and the only flaw he has is the fact that he can't cook. I mean, come on.

To be honest, between his extra hairy armpits, pre-pubescent face and red ears, he isn't really much. Also, what irked me is the fact that he treats his girlfriend like a pet (dog). (No kidding, she actually herself makes the comparison once.) And he's full of himself, sadly, without much basis.
Like the girl is having a fight with her best friend and instead of really consoling her or saying some meaningful shit he says, "She's a very small part of your life, while I'm your everything. From now on, you're not allowed to shed tears for anyone else." Now this is the exact fucking quote, no lie and the braindead heroine actually feels comforted by this. Deceased.

I mean don't get me wrong, I love his type; the cold, uncaring, perfectionist asshole who eventually thaws towards the heroine. We have Simon Bo, Kang Ma Roo and so on but all these characters have different sides to them and they show complex personalities, Nai is the same from beginning to end and I can't believe I'd tolerate a lifeless and boring as hell person like him in real life.

Now, the heroine: Sure, she's cute, quirky and very gorgeous and unfortunately, the only one acting in the show. But soon, you realize that she's recycling her facial expressions, so much that her acting becomes quite monotonous after a while.

Speaking of monotonous, the whole show is dead asf. Here are so irrelevant scenes that you just stare at the screen trying to comprehend why the hell are you being shown this unnecessary shit. The game scenes are depthless. The fighting scenes lack vigor. And I wanted to bang my head against a cactus, everytime the heroine interacted with her friends because all they did was act like juvenile brats and gushed about the main guy. I mean, you guys are supposed to be these tech savvy college students, the least you can do is show an ounce of maturity, but no. Too much to fucking ask.

Furthermore, I think I froze because of all that ice between the couple, tbh. There is no heat or chemistry whatsoever and they remain awkward and detached throughout. The affection seems forced and their union wasn't natural at all. Atleast the guy has one quality; he's an excellent kisser but the girl literally stands like a dead fish in response. No, even a dead fish has some sort of pucker going on, this girl just has her lips in a straight line and proudly shows that kissing her is akin to that of kissing a cardboard box.

For me, romance or basically any sort of relationship can only thrive and grow stronger if two people go through complications and get out of it together. Or if, they do selfless and thoughtful things for each other, no matter how small. Here, everything is rainbow and joy- literally no problems at all- and the best things the characters do for each other is treat each other to meals. That's all. Which is why their relationship is so flat, unrealistic and plagued by stangnancy throughout the show. Tsk, tsk.

The only thing fairly enjoyable was the actions of the hero's friends. Those three made me laugh a bit from their silly antics but that's about it.

Rewatch value? This stuff doesn't even have 'watch it once' value. The drama truly highlights that people will always be attracted to surface beauty no matter how much substance it lacks. This is an absolute fail and I only recommend it for people who want mindless fanservice and zero plot.

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Under "Your" Skin

Under The Skin is a 20 episodes crime drama produced by Linmon Pictures . The narrative revolves around a forensic criminal profiler and a detective who meets again after 7 years and proceeds to work together to solve cases while uncovering what happened 7 years ago. Under The Skin is compelling, thrilling, and emotional. It has an engrossing plot, impressive cinematography, and art direction.

As a crime drama, Under The Skin is not groundbreaking, but in my opinion, it is one of the best out there. What makes Under The Skin different from any other crime dramas is how they solve the cases. Instead of just going through the tracks and pieces of evidence like any other crime drama, this drama focuses on another aspect, forensic art, which is rarely seen in other dramas.

The drama has simple yet interesting cases, it is compelling, easy to follow, and has good moral messages behind every case. The process of case solving is also relatively simple, but still engaging. Each of the story arcs manages to be complex and intriguing while still showing the very real human emotions being experienced by the characters. I love how there is always a human element in each case, the culprit is not labeled as a "black" character, but more to grey. The drama shows you their own fascinating background story and makes you understand why they took down "THE" path.

Under The Skin script shed a light on social issues, there’s a human element and empathy in every episode. For instance, in the first case, you can see women’s prejudice in the workplace and what women need to go through to break the glass ceiling. The cases are realistic, it may resonate with the audience. My personal favorite case is in episodes 11 and 12, “girls help girls - woman can understand woman, woman protect woman”

Under The Skin is written by 6 scriptwriters, 5 of them are females which is why you might find that a lot of the cases and plot mostly revolves around women. The drama also manages to showcase the diversity in the police force, there’s a female detective, police officer, forensic doctor, and more (also there’s a lot of pretty ladies in the drama).

Other than a compelling script, the script is also immensely elevated by the excellent acting of every actor and actress in Under The Skin. The actors and supporting actors and actresses acting are phenomenal, they add so much emotional nuance that brings the characters to life. Both of the male leads, Tan Jianci and Jin Shijia portray their character very well. Tan Jianci as a natural and gentleman, and Jin Shijia as a charming yet rough character.

Despite all its hits, it also has it’s miss. For me, the only miss from the drama is the plot holes in the cases and some of the cases are not wrapped clearly and perfectly. But other than that, the whole drama is a hit!

Under The Skin keeps you at the edge of your seat with the thrills and suspense at the end of every episode. I believe this drama is worth the binge, those who watch this will feel addictive to consume the whole drama in one sitting.

Fun fact: yes the whole criminal profiling profession is indeed that amazing and 神奇. In 2017, the murder of Zhang Yingying in the United States. The police was not able to identify who was the culprit, and they asked help from a Chinese forensic profiler, Lin Yuhui. And he managed to draw out the culprit just from a blurry CCTV and helped solved the case!

P.S. Season 2 is coming! on one of the scriptwriter weibo post, she mentioned she went to gather some materials for Under The Skin season 2 and she also mentioned the drama should've have some more art aspect but was omitted due to the limited number of episodes, and she hopes that she can put those ideas in season 2 and the extra episodes!
Weibo post: https://m.weibo.cn/1461807075/4673683987108245

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Another series ruined by Netflix's greed

The season 2 finale was conclusive and satisfying. It tied everything together perfectly imo but of course Netflix had to bring it back for the cash grab. And it's still not enough as they're trying to stretch this even further into season 4... oh lord. And let me preface this by saying, I love this series, Alice In Borderland (Seasons 1-2) is one of my favorite drama's of all time. However Season 3 was a disappointment as the plot felt forced and so many things did not make sense to me.

Let's start with the plot. The premise for this whole season is Arisu must return to the Borderlands to save Usagi, who was lured there by Banda ("Joker"). And Banda's reason for this was that he was lonely? He said he missed having players who were good at games so he wanted Arisu to become a citizen. But citizens don't even play the games so...? Anyway, one of the new characters Ryuji (professor who has this weird kink for death) is used as a tool to get Usagi back to the Borderlands. I did not understand their relationship at all lol. They said Usagi wanted to go back to the Borderland because she misses her dad? But her dad was dead a long time ago and wouldn't be there. Ryuji also has this weird obsession with Usagi, I couldn't tell if it was romantic or like it reminded him of his dead student he got killed (though I don't really see the correlation). On the other hand Usagi also seemed to keep protecting him even though he literally kidnapped and drugged her. Anyway that whole dynamic was just weird. Usagi in season 1 and 2 is a loyal and badass, but in this season she just becomes selfish and her sudden extreme depression didn't make sense to me. Like it didn't bother her for the past five years but now suddenly she has to take some extreme measures to deal with it. I hated this relationship between Usagi and Ryuji. Ann returns which was cool but her role was kinda lame and didn't make sense. Some of the other new characters were well written and interesting to me like Tetsu, but some were just horrible and not really fleshed out. The games are decent I suppose but not as emotional or intense as last time, since we didn't have two seasons to develop understanding and connection with the characters.

I apologize this ended up being more of a rant than a review.

TLDR: Poorly written plot that did not make sense, some games were fun and interesting, new characters were hit or miss, ruined Usagi's character. Alice In Borderland is a top 5 drama for me but only because I will pretend this season doesn't exist. Wasn't as bad as Squid Game season 3 though :D

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Watch it ............with a bottle of depression medication and tissues

Tbh the only reason I made a MDL account was to come cry about this show. This show starts out phenomenally strong and draws you in to make you invest your emotions and interest, but then throws all of those into the gutter towards the end. There is nothing actually wrong with the show. But at point some shows exceed the tragedy tag because "life simply cannot be so damn cruel" to a single person. This show does exactly that so be ready for multiple stabs to your oh so poor heart.It took me a while to recover from the blows that were dealt to me.

Good things about :

Cheng yi's acting is absolutely mindblowing. I am head over heels for this man. His expressions of happiness, pain and crying are so so natural that you want laugh with him and cry with him.

The costumes, sets and production is high budget. Visually it is appealing.

Bad things :

The story starts out very strong. But then goes totally in an unexpected direction. Many plot points are introduced which should been executed but end up going nowhere which is frustrating as hell.

Some characters are extremely repetitive and predictable to the point of you wanting to pull your hair out.

There is no emotional payoff or satisfaction towards the end of the show. Not a single one.


TLDR : Cheng yi is the MVP of the show. Overall a good watch but definitely not a happy or satisfying one.

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This series is over rated and disappointing.

Don't get me wrong I love the actors and the first half of the show. I even re-watched the first few episodes just to ease the pain of waiting for one whole week for the next episode. As I said, early episodes were good. I thought they had chemistry and spark. The plot was also good and promising BUT.....

As the story progress it also lost its spark. The plot became repetitive, the side stories were set aside, the conflict became lame, the character development was nowhere to be found, in short the script/screenwriting became too dependent to the popularity of the show and the visuals of the actors. If the actors of this show were not good looking, this will be criticized heavily but since they are both handsome and popular, the bad storyline and acting was overshadowed.

Not to mention that they neglected the second main lead of the show which is Drake and Frank. They were literally set aside. It was so bad that it felt that they were just used to make this a BL series.

The chemistry of the early episodes was lost due to lack of character and relationship development. The last four episodes made the characters look and act too straight to be gay. They looked like friends and not a couple. The actors are too reserved to be called as a couple. Ironically this series lost its spark when the two main leads became a real couple. Sad that they are more in love when they are fake dating.

I was expecting more from this because it came from the director of Kiss Me Again and was written by the author of Theory of Love. Now I feel bad for Jittirain, the author of the novel, because this series messed up her creation. Unfortunately it did not live up to its popularity and standard. They can't say its because of COVID19 like Why R U?, because this was pre- produced and they have already finished filming the entire series, so I think there can be no excuse to all of its flaws.

The last episode DID NOT save this series at all. It even made it WORST to the point that viewers felt the awkwardness of the main actors, as if they don't like touching each other. The ugly directing and the story that sucks can no longer be tolerated. Sorry for using this kind of words but this is the best way I can describe what happend to this series. One comment even said, and I love how he described the ending, confession in front of an audience doesn't make it extra special.

The actors made it so obvious that they don't like to act as BL couple at the same time the director and script did not help them with making them look like a BL couple. It was a sub par acting (though I am trying to let it pass since this is Win's first series and Bright's first BL role). I think the actors should reconsider accepting BL roles if they are not fully committed to it because even if you are a good actor but you are doing something against your will, it will always show. The director, producer and screenwriter should also try to reflect what went wrong.

I remember the actors of this show said that love is just love. I agree. Love is something you can show without the racy gestures actually love is best shown with small gestures. The bad thing about this series is NOT the lack of intimate scenes but the LACK OF LOVE in their supposedly real relationship.

Things that are good in this series? Well, this has good OST (except the TINE song, it was meh) and the early chemistry but other than that, it was just a series about two handsome guys that was said to be boyfriends but act like buddies.

Not all trending series are good and even if the actors are good looking and lovable doesn't justify the bad screenplay and execution of the story.

This is a very disappointing drama.

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Silk Knives

A Splendid Match unexpectedly became one of those dramas where I kept waiting to be annoyed…
and somehow ended up finishing.

This is a family drama wrapped in romance, household politics, complicated loyalties, unfortunate timing, and people repeatedly making painfully understandable mistakes. Less political chess, more emotional consequences.

Think family grievances, household loyalties, emotional debts, and people repeatedly trapped between duty and feeling.
This is also the kind of drama where soft words frequently hide sharp consequences.

The politics are not exactly:

“everyone gather around while I execute a 14-dimensional chess move.”

The writing frequently wanders into melodrama territory.
And there are frequent moments where the plot politely asks you to suspend disbelief and simply continue moving.

But somehow?
I minded it less here.

Because even when people behave dramatically, and occasionally irrationally, I could usually understand why.

Messy?
Absolutely.

Emotionally recognizable?
More often than not.

And perhaps most importantly:
these people occasionally look like they have lived through mild inconvenience before.

I know.

The standards are in hell.

But seeing actual skin texture, shadows, and lighting that occasionally remembered human faces are supposed to have dimension felt oddly refreshing. Nobody looks permanently trapped inside soft-focus perfection.

Thank you.

Beneath the drama, there is something slightly more mature than expected. Less interested in exaggerated romantic fantasy, more invested in complicated loyalties, family tensions, political obligations, and people making painful decisions for reasons that feel emotionally believable.

The Jinzhao / Chen Yanyun / Ye Xian situation worked better for me than expected too. Not because this becomes some dramatic “choose your favorite man” competition, but because each relationship quietly represents something different emotionally: longing, timing, emotional dependency, partnership, loss.

The romance itself works less through dramatic intensity and more through the quiet accumulation of trust, consistency, and emotional safety.

Meanwhile, the Fu Huailian political situation slowly collapsing into tragedy gave the later episodes more emotional weight. Watching loyalty gradually turn into collateral damage ended up more compelling than the drama gets credit for.

Does everything work?
No.

The scheming is far from brilliant.
The pacing stumbles.

Parts of the drama absolutely could have been stronger, especially toward the end.

But truthfully?
I still ended up enjoying it more than expected.

At this point, a costume idol romance where people mostly behave according to recognizable emotional logic already deserves partial credit. Add an atmosphere that feels appropriately grounded for the world these characters inhabit, without constantly exaggerating itself for dramatic effect, and I found myself appreciating the restraint.

Recommended for: viewers who enjoy slow-burn romance, complicated loyalties, emotionally messy relationships, unfortunate timing, and watching emotionally complicated people make painfully understandable mistakes.
Not recommended for: viewers expecting flawless plotting, high-level scheming, or enough emotional maturity to prevent half the problems in this drama.

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I’ll keep this review short and simple. Mother is an award winning drama of 2010. It won 2 best drama awards, 3 best actress awards, 3 best supporting actress awards and also 1 best newcomer award, 2 screenplay awards and 1 direction award; and it deserves every award. Mother is one of those dramas that have ability to create huge impact on viewers. It’s one of few meaningful dramas that make you think about life.

Story of this drama is very serious. Writers brought up very unusual and sensitive humanity related topics like child abuse, abandoning child, foster parents and adoption. Story is quite realistic and has strong sub plots of background of some characters. Story is strong enough to keep you glued to screen from very first moment to very last moment. It’s soft and warm. It’s slow but to enjoy beauty of this kind of drama slow pace is required.
It has one of the most beautiful endings I've ever seen. Writers gave best possible ending.

There isn't overacting like other Asian dramas. Matsuyuki Yasuko is great as Suzuhara Nao. Wonder kid Ashida Mana is incredible at such young age. She is charming and cute. Chemistry between her and Matsuyuki Yasuko is really beautiful. Supporting cast is great too.

With amazing sensitive and moving topic, great acting and superb music makes this drama one of my most favorite dramas.

Mother is a drama which won’t suit many people’s taste. So if you’re bored of sappy and unrealistic dramas or looking for a drama related with humanity and realism, watch it!!

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10/10 EVERYTHING!!

This drama mainly focuses on the aspect of a broken relationship of a mother and it's child after the loss of their husband/father, and its healing journey. it has many emotional scenes as well as uplifting and bubbly comedy that is well executed. I liked the touched-on romance in this drama as well, as it's not really shoved in your face. ALSO TO MENTION!! the revenge plot was just SO GOOD!! it made sure every person got what they deserved!

the whole drama is amazing!! this drama is a pure example of how talented lee dohyun is, his character is very broad in this drama from acting as a student to a professional cold-hearted prosecutor to then a 7-year-old, is just so good. The relationship between the son and mother is so pure and emotional, and the wholesome atmosphere of the neighborhood makes you feel as if you’re part of their family. everything was so well made and shown!!! every cast member did amazing!!

if I could I would 100% watch this drama again if I had no recollection of it.

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The best BL drama out there!

I have always avoided BL dramas. The only BL watched in my life was The Untamed because BL wasn't it's main theme. After seeing many good comments and the high rating, at last, I decided to start my first Thai and fully BL concentrated drama - Bad Buddy.

The main reason why I avoided BLs was that I feel that it is toxic. There will be many odious scenes and dialogues. But, after watching this, I reaslised there can be healthy BLs too. I have never seen any BL like this before. So cute, well written, has good lead chemistry, and overall, it's HEALTHY. It kept on getting better and better from beginning to end.

This drama is based on the Thai novel Behind The Scenes by Afterday and -West-. As you have read in the synopsis, this is a shory about two boys, who were forced to be rivals because of their family problems. They had to compete against each other for almost everything. As they grew tired, they became really good friends and then, without even realising, lovers.
Although primarily looking like a comedy drama, it becomes an emotional roller coaster and takes us through all kinds of emotions including happiness, anger, surprise and sadness.

As this is my first Thai drama, I was utterly unfamiliar with the cast. But, this problem didn't last for long. In the first episode itself, I concluded that I am watching a drama with amazing actors.
Nanon Korapat Kirdpan (I still don't know how to say the name) plays Parakul, nicknamed Pran, a neat and tidy perfectionist who always loses his earphones (lol) and Ohm Pawat Chittsawangdee plays the masculine Narpat, nicknamed Pat, who is an impulsive, cheeky guy. They nailed their characters very well that it was very convincing and lovely. Their relation was a kind of love/hate relation at first and they had good chemistry between them. Their kisses were awsome. I have never seen any kiss so pure and true in any BL.
And about the supporting characters. I must say Pa and Ink make an amazing pair. Also the actors who played Pat and Pran's friends also did an amazing job.

The music is nice. I especially liked the songs sung by Nanon himself, 'Just Friends?'. I really liked the lyrics of the songs that implied the relation between Pat and Pran from friends to lovers.
Top soundtracks :
Just Friend? แค่เพื่อนมั้ง by Nanon Korapat Kirdpan
Secret (Won't Tell Anyone That You Like Me First) จะไม่บอกใครละกันว่าเธอชอบฉันก่อน by Kacha Nontanun
Our Song เพลงที่เพิ่งเขียนจบ by Nanon Korapat Kirdpan

The rewatch value is very high, which is rare for any dramas. I will certainly rewatch this drama at any point of time in the future. This is an ideal watch at depressing times. Pran and Pat will help us to relieve our stress with their cuteness.

As I said, I don't ususally watch BLs, particularly the ones with intimate scenes and kisses. I am glad that I did not avoid this one. Bad Buddy is a unique BL production that would change the perspective of BL series. I really appreciate all the cast and crew members who contributed in producing such a fine work.

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The Journey of the Pocket Watch

The Story
This drama is set during the Republican era—a turbulent time in China when ordinary people were faced with limited choices, uncertainty, and difficult decisions. The director has done an excellent job in creating a realistic portrayal of that period, supported by a well-written script that thoughtfully explores the political climate of the time. The inclusion of romance helps to soften the heaviness of the historical and societal themes.

The life stories of three generations are anchored around the old Lin family home, which evolves over time from a residential house to a hospital and later to a fabric factory that doubles as a residence. The romance of three generations of women in the Lin family, spanning from the 1930s to the 1990s, begins with Lin ShiYun, the granddaughter of the Lin family. After studying abroad and becoming a gynecologist, she returns to China with modern thinking and a bold spirit. She challenges her family’s traditional views and navigates the troubles caused by her irresponsible, gambling brother. Lin ShiYun is a strong-willed, clear-headed, and courageous woman—her personality is very likable. Once she sets her mind on something, she is determined to see it through.

I haven’t watched many dramas featuring Jelly Lin, and her performances usually didn’t captivate me. However, in this role as ShiYun, she truly fits the character and made me believe in her.

She meets Cheng Ao, a gangster lawyer played by Ryan Cheng. Though raised in a family with gangster roots, Cheng Ao was educated abroad and upholds patriotic values passed down by his adoptive father. He is the male lead in the first arc—a righteous, intelligent, and principled man who complements ShiYun’s strong personality perfectly. Ryan Cheng shines in this role, and I believe it’s his best performance to date, especially compared to his other recent leading roles in two major “S” Wuxia/Xuanhuan productions.

The first arc tells the story of Cheng Ao and Lin ShiYun finding love amid political turmoil, staying true to their beliefs, and making difficult life choices. They are among the lucky ones who survive the war and migrate overseas. I thoroughly enjoyed their romance—it felt inspiring and meaningful.

The second arc begins from episode 12 and centers on YiYi, ShiYun’s niece, who is deeply influenced by her aunt’s worldview. YiYi is widowed at a young age and faces discrimination from a conservative society. Her quiet, non-confrontational nature makes her a target of prejudice, but with determination and resilience, she finds her voice and love again. YiYi pursues her passion for clothing design and eventually thrives in the fashion industry. Her romance with a Communist Party minister, Wen Pu (played by Liu YiJun), is touching and layered with social tension. As always, Liu YiJun delivers a solid performance.

YiYi is portrayed by Tong Yao, an up-and-coming actress who feels very natural in this role. Although the second arc takes time to pick up—partly due to YiYi’s withdrawn personality—her quiet strength and artistic soul grow on you. As you begin to understand her grief and emotional depth, you can’t help but empathize with her and even wish that others would leave her alone. The side characters are frustrating at times, but they serve as realistic representations of the extreme ideological views present during early Communist China. The second arc concludes in episode 21, highlighting the hardships faced by YiYi and Wen Pu.

The final romantic arc follows YiYi’s granddaughter, Ye XiNing, whose love story begins with a chance encounter with schoolteacher Xiang BeiChuan. After being falsely accused and losing her job, XiNing’s journey is about rebuilding her career and discovering love. Among the Lin women, she is probably the most unlikable at first—impulsive, dramatic, and outspoken. However, she is also hardworking, resilient, and maintains a positive outlook. From working in a small jean factory to running an international clothing business, her growth is admirable.

XiNing and BeiChuan are complete opposites: she is loud, emotional, and blunt, while he is quiet, cautious, and principled. At times, it’s easy to feel sympathy for BeiChuan as XiNing’s dominating personality overwhelms him. But their romance grows as they work through misunderstandings and eventually commit to each other. Spoiler: this couple is the only one we see getting married on-screen.

A beautiful touch in the story is the symbolic passing of a pocket watch—from Cheng Ao to Lin ShiYun, then to YiYi, and finally to XiNing—representing the passage of time and the enduring values passed down through generations.


My Thoughts on the Couples (CPs):

Many viewers came to this drama for Ryan Cheng, who only appears in the first arc (up to episode 11). I particularly liked his role here, so I wanted to share my thoughts on the romantic arcs:

CP1 – Cheng Ao & Lin ShiYun

Their story is about spontaneity, contrasts yet shared values, courage, and remaining true to one’s roots. It’s a tale of ordinary people becoming heroes in extraordinary times.

CP2 – YiYi & Wen Pu

This is a story of forbidden love and defying social norms. It highlights the limitations imposed by society, and the endurance needed to triumph over adversity.

CP3 – Ye XiNing & Xiang BeiChuan

Their romance shows how love can blossom under unlikely circumstances. It’s about opposites attracting, seizing opportunities, holding onto beliefs, and striving for success while staying grounded.

All three love stories are intricately woven into the fabric of time, each representing a different response to the challenges of their era.

There are many powerful and thought-provoking lines in the drama about relationships, choices, and the consequences of decisions made. I truly enjoyed this drama and hope that more people will come to appreciate its depth, storytelling, and emotional richness.

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Fluffy and cute with some of the same problems as other Japanese BL

I was intrigued by the plot initially, and really enjoyed the series at first. It’s a light-hearted drama that employs a magical plot device to create conflict, much like Cherry Magic, another fluffy, enjoyable Japanese BL.

Unfortunately, I found that it was plagued by a couple of the same issues I’ve had with other Japanese BLs in the past. First, the fact that the last couple of episodes seemed to drag on, going in will-they-or-won’t-they circles without progressing the relationship in any meaningful way. Kota agonizes over the same questions of what he actually wants from Naoya for several episodes, and in the end it still feels as though they’re more or less where they started.

Second, I can never understand the inclination to write one of the leads as this blushing virgin archetype who’s so angst-ridden over the idea of kissing the person they’ve fallen for. This drama showed a kiss between the leads in the first episode, so I was really hoping it would be different in that sense, but nope. The same annoying mess of, “oh my gosh, we’re dating! Does that mean *gasp!* kissing??!” Why is this so common in Japanese BL? Why can they never just kiss without it being a traumatic 3-episode arc? Lol

Anyway, I liked it. It was cute. It was fine. I’m glad it didn’t drag on as long as Kieta Hatsukoi at any rate. But it took me awhile to get to watching the last couple episodes, because I could feel that it was going in that familiar direction, and honestly I’m kind of over this style of writing in dramas.

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This is a great drama to watch for those of you who really likes  to laugh. Live Up To Your Name Dr. Heo is a drama about a doctor who travels through time. Dr. Heo has a special way of time-traveling. You'll just have to watch the drama to see how he does it though.  We again see the k-drama world shaking things up in terms of drama genres. This isn't just a typical time-traveling drama! It's a rom-com/time-traveling drama. This drama does not have the most complex plot out there, but it'll probably make you laugh several times throughout each episode.

Story:  [8/10]
I gave the story an 8 because this story lacks a complex plot. It's another one of those drama where the rich upper-class are the villains and our poor (very literally poor) Dr. Heo is the main protagonist.  

Dr. Heo Im meets Dr. Choi Yeon Kyung when he time-travels to the present. At first they are constantly at odds with each other. The two begins to get closer as they go on various time traveling excursions into the past. They begin to understand and fall for each other as they spend more and more time in each other's respective time period.  The writer and director then sprinkles a little bit of time travel and medicine here and there. This drama is as simple as that. Don't get me wrong though. I really really really liked the drama for its comedy, but the plot (in terms of memorable events ) just doesn't have enough impact. The comedy was also at its best at the beginning of the drama. I was excited to watch the new episode every weekend. Sadly this feeling begin to wear off in the last 4 episodes as the drama was wrapping up.

Cast: [10/10]
The writer and director makes up for the bland plot by creating a drama with very memorable character interactions! Oh man! I completely fell in love with the two main characters in this drama.  The actor that plays Dr. Heo is hilarious! I especially loved the hilarious moments at the beginning of the drama when he was trying to adjust to 2017. When the two main characters are together their actions feed off of each other creating some pretty funny moments too. The romantic moments in the shows are pretty great as well.  There seemed to be a lot of chemistry between the two. Their kissing scenes were pretty realistic. It's not like some other dramas where it seemed like one of the characters didn't want to be kissed or be there.  There were some funny naughty innuendos sprinkled throughout the drama too haha. Overall I'm glad these two were paired together because it made the drama that much greater.

Music: [8/10]
I have nothing much to say about the music and the OST.  This drama's main genre isn't music so the music anything new or overly great. Overall I liked the music. It wasn't too memorable, but at least the music didn't seem out of place.

Rewatch Value: [8/10]
This show has a middle of the pack value. It's not on my "must rewatch" list, but at the very least I plan on rewatching it in the distant future .

All in all, what the story lacks in plot, it makes up for with great character interactions. The plot was essentially driven by the two main characters. There's not really much to say about the other characters in the story because they didn't have a major affect on the story. I really enjoyed the good laugh that Live Up To Your Name Dr. Heo provided.

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Was Love Worth It in the End?

Where do I even begin with this hot mess.

The drama centers on Hao Yu (Lu Zhao Hua), the police commissioner's foster daughter, who goes undercover in the criminal underworld for revenge. Along the way, she gets romantically tangled with mafia heir Ji Zhi Jie (Fan Zhi Xin). Her ex-lover, police officer Zhou Zi Heng (Li Jia Bing), conveniently reappears to "help" her. Or so it seems.

First of all, Hao Yu is the worst undercover informant I have ever seen. The signs were practically glowing neon for Ji Zhi Jie--she was not on the "up and up" with him in any way. Her excuses were weak, lies were weaker, and anyone with common sense could see she wasn't telling the truth. But he chose to ignore all of it. Because he loved her that much.

Seriously. No matter what happened, he always took her side.
1. He gets beat down who knows how many times.
2. He gets whipped for her.
3. He crawls on his knees on broken glass to get a key and save her when she's kidnapped.

But of course, she has to "keep up pretenses." She even takes a bullet for him, which convinces him she's fully committed. The signs were there, but he ignored every one of them. Even his closest confidante told him Hao Yu couldn't be trusted. So many people warned him, but he kept choosing to believe her.

And the ridiculousness continues--Zhou Zi Heng is a dirty cop working both sides: feeding information to the police and to the mafia boss who raised both him and Ji Zhi Jie. Naturally, Ji Zhi Jie knows absolutely nothing about any of this. Shocking right?

Finally -- finally -- when his man brings him photos and proof of all Hao Yu has done; he completely breaks down. He kills Zhou Zi Heng, pushes away everyone close to him, and turns into this dark, hardened version of himself. You'd think Hao Yu would exit stage left at that point. Nope. She sticks around because now she wants to bring him down.

Hao Yu had me on my last, last nerve. I don't understand why he didn't just leave her alone. She was truly pathetic. Her infiltration attempts were laughable -- she always got caught, and he always had to save her. That whining, the crying, the clothes, those nails...I simply could not.

Now let's talk about Fan. I love me some Fan. He acted his heart out. But how many times did he grab her by the neck and threaten to kill her? Countless. And yet, he never followed through. He told everyone to leave him because he wanted to take down the councilman, and he begged her over and over: "Don't believe what others say. Trust me." She never did.

He was never the monster they thought he was. He just wanted to end everything so the people he loved could finally live freely. If only she had trusted him -- no matter what.

To finally end things, he chose to become a kingpin because he needed everyone to believe he had turned into the world's worst villain, even though he hated the lies and the cruelty. Behind the scenes, he was working with the cops to make things right. He even met one of the officers to coordinate with Hao Yu. Eventually, the truth came out, and she finally learned who he really was -- someone trying to do the right thing all along.

He gave her so many signs and gestures...but in the end, he still died, saving her. He left so much to her. All his properties. Swiss bank account with money for the children from the orphanage he created for them to go to college.

She did finally understand how much he loved her when she read a note that fell from a book.
"I've knelt three times. The first time, I begged him to let you live. The second time, I begged for the right to die by your hand. The third time, to give thanks for meeting you."

Fan needs to start choosing better scrips. Go back to those Lethal Man style dramas. These recent ones are not doing him any favors. His acting is always solid, but this FL brought nothing to the table for me.

The turbulence never stopped -- because this relationship was doomed from the start.

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