Reviews

Can definitely be watched multiple times, preferably on a big screen

This was so good. China should be very proud of this movie. The cast, direction, editing, music, cinematography was on point. The movie had great pace from the very beginning. I wish I had watched it on the big screen, what great visuals it had.
I could totally see how well they used their budget.

I love that Yibo is making great choices for his projects. He could have easily kept on doing the same kind of roles in dramas and earn a good living but he chose to take on challenges and work with good actors and directors to hone his craft. It's no secret that I watched this movie coz of him and he did not let me down.
If Yibo was a Hollywood actor, all our media would be telling us how a young actor is so talented and has done such a variety of work...There's no need to write how good Hu Jun is, he is a veteran. But, I've never seen Yu Shi before, he was good.

Lei Yu is scared of dogs. Those who know will know :P
Zhang making Lei eject but choosing to stay back is not fictional. There have been many pilots who made sure their plane wouldn't crash on a residential area, they sacrificed their life to protect innocent civilians. I knew he would not make it the moment they showed his family but damn it hurt. The first time Lei ejected was so funny but this one was heartbreaking.
Lei's mother told us how risky this career is by just 1 dialog, you can't fix the plane while it's in the clouds.

One can't pretend that there's no propaganda in the movie. In real world, China intrudes into the air spaces of another country while the movie tells us how they get worried when someone else does the same. Movies from other countries do propaganda as well. So let's not pretend a Chinese movie is doing something new. We ignore or pretend when movies of our countries do it so give leeway to another as well.
Everyone knows what China has done in Sri Lanka, Pakistan and other smaller countries. I'd like to see someone brave enough to make a movie or drama in China that shows the ugly truth. But we know it's not possible in a country that decides what its adult population should watch.

The movie is about test pilots, what they do, their lifestyle and the massive risks they take. The movie successfully shows it to the viewer. If such a story doesn't interest you then don't go complaining about it. The movie delivers what it promised.
Comedy was at the right time and in the right amount. The CGI was incredible. I didn't care about romance coz I was engrossed in the story of test pilots, thankfully the movie didn't make romance as the core.
There aren't many women test pilots in the real world so I was hoping the movie would have gone a different route. It would have been interesting to watch them make changes to the planes to suit women. Maybe another movie which shows the struggles women test pilots face.
I'll definitely watch the movie again. It was totally worth the wait.

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At first I was planning to watch Emergency Couple only for the leads. In fact, I've had a soft spot for Choi Jin Hyuk since discovering him in I Need Romance and I wanted to see Song Jo Hyo play a happy/funny character. Plus no one can deny they do have some awesome chemistry together. And thankfully the drama didn't let me down. The two actors were great and the development/rediscovering of their love was perfectly handled when it could have been a total nonsensical mess.

Surprisingly, what I really cared about the most wasn't the main couple but EVERYONE. All the characters were important in my eyes *whispers* especially Kim Min Ki. That drama is more than "and they rekindled their romance". It's about accepting past mistakes (yours as well as others') confronting your fears and moving forwards (toward your very own happiness). It's about taking care of the people you love and understanding them.

You will laugh, you will shed a few tears (or buckets) and in the end, once the drama is finished, you will happily say goodbye to these 21 hours of well spent time. Because yes, maybe Emergency Couple is not a piece of art per say but it is the kind of drama that makes you feel good about life, that reminds you that whatever mistake you made in the past, it doesn't and shouldn't define you and if that you try hard, you can succeed in anything.

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A geek and campus beauty story just like any other. It's an enjoyable romantic comedy about a person who cares too much about what people think of her and a guy who just wants the person he loves to understand him. It was funny and sweet and definitely worth a watch with a bunch of friends hanging out because that's the kind of feeling this movie has

However, I can't help but feel like this film was directed and/or written by somebody who does not understand " geeks ". I say this in quotation marks because that's just a negative word for the people who are over zealous in their own hobbies; video games, engineering, art, computers, science,history,etc/ Most of these are actual professions. In this movie, these people are portrayed to be creepy socially inept emotionally weak people who are the vermin of society. Not only this but the male lead is the prime example. Why? Clearly in the real world this is not the case at all

The " twist "at the end was not a good idea and I want to kill the person who thought it was. It's like they took a page straight out of M. Night Shamalyan's films. Forcing a twist at the end of a film just for the sake of having one. Except in this case, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Read further below if you want to find out exactly what I mean




SPOILERS

So in the movie there's this legend that if two people fall in a lake while it is dried up, they will become happily ever after. So the two leads fall in and you see how they end up together throughout the 90 minute movie. However, it turns out at the end you discover that it was all a hoax by the male lead. He manufactures the legend, the draining of the lake, the fake happily ever after stories from the legend, as well as a number of things just so he can get together with the campus beauty. After finding out about this, she breaks up with him. And what does he do? Almost kills himself. Fade out to 7 years later and they're married and together. The End.

What. The. Fuck? If it weren't for that stupid ending, I would have thoroughly enjoyed this film but as of now, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. IM going to washing it down with another episodes of Game of Thrones.

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You won't be prepared for this movie and this might give you some anime-like (Hayao-Miyazaki) vibes.
The story is marvellously written, in the movie the topic that was handeled can be seen in the real life food industry and that makes the story utterly sad. It is an unique movie, because it is realistic in a certain way.
The story picks up fast and in the last hour it leaves out no time to proceed fast, I wished they stayed on some scenes longer to give more of an impact but that is just a minor flaw in my opinion.
The cast was amazing and I really appreciated the collab between Korean actors and American ones. It was difficult in the beginning because Jake's acting was too much, but that is the way Bong Joon-Ho produces its movies and I am happy he stayed true to himself.
The music was beautiful at certain scenes, not all of them.

Overall I really liked this movie, certainly ones that impact me (it left me crying) but also made me think about the food industry. In my opinion I don't see this as a propaganda but as a supernatural movie with a deep message, it makes a valid point.

Watch this and you won't be dissapointed, try to look over the over-reacting actions from some actors but see the message behind this movie.

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Worth the Watch… But Not Without Skipping

The acting was solid, and the leads were convincing in their affection...but I couldn’t fully buy into their chemistry. The plot felt stretched out, especially with 56 episodes, and I skimmed through a lot of filler. The whole immortal-god-falling-for-someone-way-younger trope felt off to me, even if it’s fantasy. I wanted a stronger reason for their bond, beyond power or old debts. I also wasn’t thrilled that the female lead had to struggle so much. That said, curiosity kept me going, and while I didn’t love the drawn-out misunderstandings, it had enough romance to keep me hooked...just not as much as “Eternal Love.”

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Love with Flaws

Here we have a special series, which is defined primarily by its unique storyline.
Unlike the often over-romanticized BLs, both main characters have recognizable character flaws: they are arrogant, selfish and obsessed, but also insecure, intimidated and vulnerable.
This contrast is what makes the series so appealing, because for all their negative attitudes, they remain sympathetic and likable and I always wished them a satisfying love.

Their relationship is neither perfect nor equal and their love hurts others, but that's how it often is and I'm glad that a series shows this without losing sight of the beauty of their relationship.

The acting, cinematography and soundtrack are always on a high level.
All in all a nice surprise at the end of the year and probably one of the best BLs from Japan.

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Wang Kaimu best film in 2025

I though Wang Kaimu in Secretary Qiu was his peak in 2025 and I COMPLETELY WRONG.

Everything in this drama was *chef kiss* MASTERPIECE. Xu Zhenzhen surprised me with her inner voice that not cringe and her character is so adorable. The plot on the vertical drama view is the best despite minor flaw that we can forgive it. It giving Sex and the City vibe.

The plot is quite fast compare to other same theme drama with mature conversation that realistic on real life (How ML have same exact sex position for more than year lmao). The romance growth for stranger with marriage arrangement to become dependent for each other is natural without any force chemistry. I like how the couple solve the problem with proper conversation (FL wants to divorce ML because found her secretary lipstick on his coat while ML tried to defend his right by checking the CCTV and fired the secretary, ML jealousy of FL coworker, etc) Wang Kaimu- Xu Zhenzhen chemistry is like river flow-natural and not being force sweetness. The supporting character aka FL best friend are biggest helper to clueless FL and ML about love (and sex).

I like how ML backstory of being robotic and how to overcome his trauma with FL. While FL tried to understand ML more better without siding her main priority as human being.

One of the best vertical drama in 2025. I am not even kidding with that statement. I will recommended to anyone who passed 18 years old, even not c-drama enjoyer can enjoy this.

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This movie is up there with TLT2 (the Neo Hou/Cheng Yi outing) as my favorite DMBJ thingy. No silly het romance of an unnecessary insert (I'm looking at you, Providence), just good old tentacles and Bromance - with the B being very silent.

Till this movie, Heihua did nothing for me. It didn't ring any bells, it left me cold and shrugging on the outskirts of this fandom. But Ji Chen and Ji Xiaobing as Hei Xiazi and Xiao Hua, respectively, did A Thing(TM) to my perception of this pairing. Like... wow.

This movie was everything I hoped for. Yeah, yeah, grave robbing (sorta), tentacled Cthulhu wannabe, that was all nice and whatnot. But the relationship between Hei Xiazi and Xiao Hua? That was perfection pure.

Like...

- when Xiao Hua first came to Hei Xiazi and Hei Xiazi learned why Xiao Hua was headed into the jungle - and then he stole Xiao Hua's ugly statuette and threw it into the pond to protect him.
- when Hei Xiazi paid the armed wannabe bandits to let Xiao Hua's expedition pass but he placed himself right next to Xiao Hua, just in case, to protect him from bullets.
- when Hei Xiazi was told that the cops found a dead body and he feared that it was Xiao Hua, remembering his words, "Are you not afraid that we will all die?"
- when Hei Xiazi immediately packed his things and ran to Xiao Hua's rescue.
- when Hei Xiazi realized that Xiao Hua was poisoned - well, the rest of the expedition too but them folks could just keel over and die for all he cared - and kept on checking on Xiao Hua for the rest of the movie every time Xiao Hua was sick or dizzy - Hei Xiazi's Look(TM) when he saw the insect sores on Xiao Hua's arm!
- when Hei Xiazi decided to open the sarcophagus, not really caring what was inside, just so Wannabe Cthulhu would stop killing Xiao Hua.
- when Wannabe Cthulhu smacked Xiao Hua off the platform and Hei Xiazi screamed with rage!
- when it looked like they might die after all and Hei Xiazi simply lay down next to Xiao Hua, fully intending to just expire together with him right then and there.
- when they escaped through the river and at some point, Hei Xiazi let his young fellow of a friend go, despite the boy being knocked out, to drag Xiao Hua up.
- when Hei Xiazi's young friend told him, "Why don't you go with [Xiao Hua]? He obviously cares about you a lot."
- when they then ran off together, doing unseemly things in Russia.

This movie just pushed all the right buttons when it came to whump. There wasn't just a lot of hurt, there was so much care on both sides. It's the most lasting impression of mine after watching this movie: they CARED for each other. They cared so much. You could truly feel the depth of affection they had for each other. Smitten, I was smitten!

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Shadow Love has the flavor of Romeo and Juliet

This review is a journey exploring the universe of sensations and feelings that Shadow Love can lead you to experience. Although the story is simple, it deeply explores love as a powerful experience of strength and resilience, capable of overcoming the most brutal and painful challenges.

Shadow Love is a powerful love story that straddles the real world of the realms and the mystical world of Wulin Mountain.

The series is unforgettable: I laughed, I cried, I vibrated... I went through all the emotions and waited for each episode with a delicious anxiety.

I trusted the plot, and above all, I trusted the signs the story gave toward a happy ending.

All the actors delivered impeccable performances. I hadn't seen any series with Song Yi before, and I had just watched LOTFG (I loved it!), with Cheng Lei, whom I also hadn't seen before: now I feel like I can't live without them both.

The story is easy to understand, flows smoothly, and the plot and subplots are well-organized and fit together seamlessly. It evolves at a good pace, balancing happy, funny, tense, and sad moments. It manages to move the story steadily throughout its 38 episodes, keeping the viewer very engaged, until it reaches the totally satisfying climax. It explores human values ​​and virtues amidst villainy and cruelty, all very well balanced.

The camera wanders, explores and expands angles and frames that enhance the aesthetics and support the wordless narrative, where only the image dialogues with the viewer, both in the amber luminosity of the love scenes, suggesting innocence and purity, and in the dark scenes, where the light-dark contrast emphasizes the focus on the character, amplifies the dramaticity, volume and depth of the environment, recalling works by Rembrandt characterized by the Chiaroscuro (light-dark) style.

In that regard, the cinematographic aesthetics offer a delight for the eyes with countless scenes constructed with art and lyricism that clearly allude to Chinese paintings. These scenes remain etched in the retina like sweet memories.

Song Yi gave greatness and humanity to the character, virtuously conciling femininity with the soldier's unyielding rawness , without losing elegance, always with her bow and arrow, reminiscent of the character Diana, from Roman mythology. She masters facial expressions and gaze from the subtlest to the most evident: I was overcome with sadness in every scene where she cried, and I found myself smiling at the soft light that bathes her entire face when she smiles. She has in her eyes the eloquence of the heart.

There is also a poetic beauty in the scenes where Li Shuang nourishes Jin'An with her own blood, which does not resemble in any way mere vampirism, whose logic is in mere benefit and parasitism, resulting in the discarding of life, but recalls the legend of the pelican who, having nothing to offer its chick, pecks its own breast until it bleeds and feeds it. This image symbolizes sacrifice and dedication, exactly Li Shuang's most striking virtues. Nurturing is such a feminine function, no matter the bond; it's a woman's trait, and this was greatly valued in the character of Li Shuang, a symbol not only of courage but, most especially, of self-sacrifice and self-denial for the greater good.

Cheng Lei overflows with charisma, his penetrating and indefensible gaze magnetizes and leads us to surrender. All three characters he embodies are impetuous, so passionately compelling, that he leaves us no choice: we fall in love with all three. They combine two forces that enchant women: masculinity and sweetness.

Shadow Love's originality is truly impressive! As the episodes progressed, I clearly noticed that the story's construction deviated from the standard plot structure that virtually all dramas follow. An example of this is the way LS acts and behaves: she breaks away from the standard passive woman in love scenes; she surprisingly boldly takes the initiative in these scenes.

There's also a modern touch that makes Shadow Love stand out as a genre, giving Jin'An, when he undergoes the transformation, a superhero character rather than a mere mutation. The character's specific theme song itself has a very positive tone, composed in a typically heroic melodic structure, suggesting a heroic nature (a specific theme song for each character, object, idea or emotion is called 'leitmotiv', free translation 'leading motive', musical resource created by the German composer Richard Wagner). Another touch of originality was to endow this character with an identity that preserved his humanity and defeated Mo Yin's predictions about the loss of self-control, the rupture with himself to give way to an irrational beast. The strength of love prevailed in him, his strongest nature, that of a man in love.

The story conveys this message of extraordinary power that reverberates in real life: love is not just a physical memory within time and susceptible to oblivion, but a transcendental experience, as it transcends the human condition and, therefore, immune to oblivion, regardless of the trauma.

Finally, the songs... They are profoundly beautiful and frame love with hope, perseverance, resilience, and renunciation. The reward for this challenging pilgrimage faced by Li Shuang and Jin'An could be none other than a Happy Ending, freed from the past to resignify the present. I will miss them so much!

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Watch It for the Supporting Couple

I don't know why Xanxia dramas always need a second couple to take the attention away from main leads, but I guess it's necessary to make a longer drama. I was really disappointed with this drama, first off, because there is just no chemistry between the main leads. Dylan is such a bad actor in this. He just does not look like he was enjoying himself. The one scene where he actually looked alive was with young Liuyang in the Kunlun mountain arc. Zhu XuDan is a wonderful actress and I have loved her since TMOPB, which was a great part for her as she is capable of quite a range of characters. Although, I am glad that she gets a lead here, it just wasn't as well written a part for her. I don't particularly care for Mary Sue's or grown women acting like 4 year olds and, with the exception of the lady general arc, I was mostly disappointed.

This brings us to the secondary/supporting couple who are different as night and day to our main leads. Once again we have the serious guy opposite the flighty female. But, in contrast, they were better actors. Xue Qian Xun, brilliantly played by newcomer Deng Wei, may have been a cold fish, but he was ALIVE. The lights were definitely on in that pretty head of his and when QingQing was angry at him or sad about something, he was genuinely mortified. I loved watching their banter, the stolen glances, the loving looks. This was missing between our main leads, and that was the biggest shame. Because of this, they single-handedly stole the show from Dylan and XuDan. I looked forward to the episode that would finally reveal their story.

Some of the plot lines were annoyingly predictable. I felt like I was watching rehashes from previously better-written dramas. That kind of laziness is inexcusable.

The OST was the best part of this whole production. I could listen to it all day. It was perfect for the situations and gave scenes their appropriate weight. Background music was gorgeous, as was cinematography and costumes.

The ending was sad and disappointing. After all the reincarnations and tribulations I hoped for better for the main couple. If anyone can recommend better Xianxia dramas, please leave a post in the comments.

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The Light in Her Eyes!

'The beautiful journey which keeps you engaged till the end, giving you pain still you have a smile left on your face.' if someone asked to be to describe this show in one sentence. Well, it's an emotional roller coaster where you experience every emotion itself, you cry, you laugh, there's pain, you'll shock, in short you'll experience everything in this small ride. But the main thing is you'll get more than just entertainment, bitter truth, or reality you can say. Surely it's not a fairytale but none the less than that.

The story itself was phenomenal, you cannot predict anything, and the twist you get near the end was more than any surprise. I've seen in any thriller, suspense drama. The execution, the direction was perfect. Characters their emotions, sentiments were amazingly conveyed. The humor was to the point till not absurd, nothing was perfect, every character had it's pro and con, and that's the specialty of this. Its realisticness opens our eyes to see the real world where we live.

Hat's off for the acting, Kim Hye Ja absolutely nailed it, like this role was made for her. I can say I saw a really good change in Nam Joo Hyuk's acting he did a great job portraying his character and last but not least Son Ho Jun wow he's gonna be one of the characters which made me laugh most.

So this was a whole package having a great story, cast, execution, beautiful cinematography, and more than just a drama face to the reality which can teach you the real value of life.

"Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is Alchemy's First Law of Equivalent Exchange"

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an idol's relationships with faen, friends, and fans

It was very cute. The relationship between Thame and Po was very sweet. I also really liked the bonds built between the the members of Mars. This was a good introduction and starting point for me into LYKN and their music. There was also some thought-provoking commentary on the dynamic between idols and their fan, as well as other insights and messages throughout the series to think about. It was a fun and cute watch.

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● SHORT REVIEW
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[ --LIKES-- ]

✔ While I don't think it's a deep dive into the world of being an idol group, it does touch upon quite a few topic regarding the struggles and politics of an idol group. It may not be representative of all groups and their companies, but the series offers a glimpse into some.

✔ In general, there is also depth to the story with an important lesson about our value as individuals, no matter who we are.

✔ I like the chemistry of William and Est. It is sort, sweet ,and subtle. I enjoyed the progression of Thame and Po's relationship a lot. It was cute.

✔ There are a lot of cute moments that makes the heart feel kilig and a few moments that shatter your heart.

✔ The series show problems are resolved through sincere communication and discussion and through working together.

✔ I really liked the episode where Thame got jealous of Earn. In a lot of series, this would have turned into a bigger argument with Thame angrily storming off, but they didn't go that route.

✔ Leads are likable. Very selfless, considerate, understanding, caring, and patient with one another.


[ --DISLIKES-- ]

✖ I wasn't fully convinced by Oner's CEO's change of heart at the end. Pemika spent most of the series with a plan for Mars (mostly Thame), so her suddenly deciding to let them off the hook fells abrupt to me. I understand she might have either thought it was too much hassle to keep fighting them and/or she was moved by Mars' sincerity to stay together, but they could've have shown more of that process and her character development to get to that point.

✖ I also don't really think it was really necessary to bring Earn back at all towards the end. It didn't really add much, if anything at all. He was just a past relationship that we could probably draw lessons from but we could've just left it at that.

✖ One thing I really wish the story didn't do was have Pepper and Gam break up and then have Thame and Po also break up. Instead, I wish the story went the route of having them stay together and face the problem together, as originally planned by the characters. I think that could've been a great lesson. Breaking up isn't always necessary to solve issues. I understand this is how the story is, though. This is mostly just me wishing that we didn't need to have a breakup in order to learn a lesson, achieve a goal, or facilitate the plot.


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● IN-DEPTH REVIEW
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[ --STORY/PLOT-- ]

There are two major themes in the series that I'll use to talk about the plot in regards to. The first theme is selflessness and sacrifice. They're two ideas but they're related. It is used to set up the beginning and ending arcs of the series. In the beginning, we have Thame who appears to be very standoffish and distant from the other members of the group Mars. However, Po intervenes and unmasks Thame's true nature. We learn that Thame actually cares a lot about his group, but he was willing to sacrifice his hope and dream for the group to stay together to instead do what he thought was best for his group members. Thame isn't the only one being selfless and trying to sacrifice himself for the other members though. Jun, his best friend in Mars, is also doing the same thing. Jun thinks the group is holding Thame back, so Jun is willing to act like he doesn't care so that his friend can go to South Korea. Fortunately, Po enters the story and helps Thame fight for what he truly wants and reunite Mars. Ironically, this same person who help Thame realized that it's okay to want to be selfish sometimes is also someone who later makes a selfless sacrifice unnecessarily. However, it does help the story come full circle in the end with the group banding together to reach out to Thame in the same way Thame reached out to them at the start.

The other major theme explored is an individual's worth and value. This is something we is touched upon throughout the entire series via different relationships. The biggest example of this is how Oner's CEO viewed the members of Mars. Mars is merely an asset and product to the company. Their value is evaluated based on metrics such as ranking on top charts, awards received, the money they brings in, and other numbers. The CEO also values Thame more than the other members. A lot of the characters also reflect on their own self-worth. This is seen in the beginning when Thame and Po are trying to bring Mars back together. Pepper, for example, thought that as a jack of all trade, he was not that important as there is always another member that can do what he can. He didn't think his role was important. Nano is another great example. He contemplates his future and fears that he is not good at anything other than dancing, so he ends up trying different things so he doesn't have to be dependent on the the group's success.

We see a lot of different perspective on a person's value. We see Mars' value through the lens of the company. We see how some of the fans value Mars. We see how underground artists/rappers view Mars. We have characters reflect on their own values. We see the value of a person through the relationships of those closest to them. We see how Pepper and Gam value each other. We see how Thame and Po value each other. We see how Jun and Po value each other. We see how each member of Mars' value one another. In a letter to Po, Thame expresses his thoughts on this topic and I think there is a lot of draw from it.


[ --ACTING/CAST-- ]

Even disregarding that this is LYKN's full series debut, I think they did a great job. Whether it was the bonding moments or the ones where they bicker, they felt like a real group. I guess it helps that Mars is played by a real group so they are able to draw upon their own feelings and experiences to play their characters. And even for the parts outside of the idol experience and camaraderie, they delivered well on the humor, romance, and heartfelt scenes. Est also did a great job. This is also really my first time seeing Est's acting. I saw him a bit in "High School Frenemy", there wasn't much there for him to showcase, so I'm glad to see him now in a bigger role. The chemistry between William and Est was good. There wasn't anything intense or crazy, but it was subtle and sweet. The chemistry is portrayed in the small gestures and actions like smiles and glances. And their cute scenes definitely delivered the kilig.

[ --MUSIC/OST-- ]

Since Mars is played by a real music group and the plot revolved around the music industry, I started watching with the expectation I would find at least one or two songs to add to my Thai playlist. I liked a lot of the songs, so there was no disappointment there. It was definitely a good starting point for me to get into LYKN and its members' music.

[ --REWATCH VALUE-- ]

The series isn't that long, and the episodes were also engaging enough with some depth to them. Plus, the relationship of Thame and Po was very cute, so I think it's something I could re-watch again just for the cuteness alone. I don't know if I will by myself as I don't feel super strongly about it, but the potential is there. I'll more likely rewatch it if I'm watching it with someone else.

[ --FINAL THOUGHTS-- ]

While I admit there were some things in the series that felt unrealistic, inaccurate, or exaggerated, it didn't really detract from the overall story, lessons, and cuteness of this series. A lot of the good feelings I got came from the soft, subtle moments between Thame and Po. And there were a lot of those. Their romance was just very innocent for the most part. The members of Mars were also all interesting and fun to watch. I enjoyed their camaraderie. Ultimately, the series was very cute and left a good impression.

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● NOTE
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I'll always conclude my review by saying that ratings and reviews is not really a indicator of whether you may enjoy something. We all have different criteria and standards. Don't let a bad rating, review, or comment discourage you from watching something. My advice will always be to give something a chance if the premise interests you, and only use the ratings/reviews to determine priority if you have a list, or if you're deciding if you want to continue it due to time limitations.

♥ Thanks for reading my review! Feel free to comment or hit me up if you want to discuss anything ♥

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Unique and Unforgettable

The only reason why this drama is not a perfect ten for me is because I probably would not watch the first half of episode 1 again, so the rewatch value isn't perfect. But everything else is freakin' dope in my humble opinion.

STORY: The writing is strong, and the plot unique. With the overflow of romance dramas in S.Korea, it's terribly hard to find a gem like this. This drama deals with exorcism (both the Christian and the shamanic exorcism), with very unique Korean traits. Even though the atmosphere is mostly dark and gruesome, the mystery and the characters' relationships pull you in. It has no romance at all, but the very strong family and friendship ties (*cough bromance cough*) make this story a lot more valuable and compelling.

There is foreshadowing in almost every episode, with some red herrings thrown here and there, but most would still point out to the crux of the mystery. My most favorite foreshadowing happened on Ep 8 where the main character, Hwa Pyung woke up in jail. The drunk guy next to him was murmuring something in his sleep, saying "It's all your fault. It's all you."

I'd never think that this scene would mean so much. It's just a passing comment meant to wake up our main character. But it actually does mean a lot for the ultimate twist in the end. There's a lot more foreshadowing that I appreciate (i.e. Yukgwang's fate revealed in Ep 2 and the death of crows in Ep 4, etc. ), but the "jail scene" above is my absolute favorite.

In my opinion, the ability to integrate a lot of meaningful foreshadowing to the story definitely shows the strength of the script. It shows that the people involved are not just shooting arrows into random baskets. They actually know where the story is going, and that's what makes this drama more substantial and impactful.

CHARACTERS: Aside form the strong story, the other thing I like most about this drama is its CHARACTERS. We're not only talking about the perfect casting but also how the story broke all stereotypes for all the main leads:

Psychic Taxi Driver Hwa Pyung - Despite the incredible childhood trauma this guy has experienced, he still remained kindhearted and open minded. His past is so dark and desperate, but his attitude is still sunny and laid back. He's also very gutsy and reckless. And very brave to a fault. He'll do anything to save a life. Not one to be bothered by any formalities, he'd always say what's on his mind. A very capable psychic but a very lousy taxi driver though. He never completed a single trip for any customer throughout the series.(smh)

Exorcist Priest Choi Yoon - TBH, even though this guy's a priest, that does not stop him from being the rudest and most straightforward person I've ever seen in any drama. Probably the most uptight one in the room, but still one of the most reliable friend to have around. But even with his poor bedside manners, he would still be the first one to literally sacrifice everything, including his priesthood and his life, to save people. Self-sacrificing to a fault and uncompromising.

Detective Gil Young - I loved that even though she’s the only female in the series, she isn’t no damsel in distress. In fact, she has the most action scenes in the story. Being the sole protector of the trio, this female lead's stubborn and brave. She's the muscle of the group also the brains, as her incredible intuition saves them most of the time. Has a huge problem with authority (according to her sunbae and chief), but an amazing detective nonetheless.

I also liked how all of them almost lost their jobs because of their mission. Actually, Hwa Pyung lost his taxi driver gig in he middle of the series; Choi Yoon almost lost his priesthood; and Detective Kang Gil Young was suspended and reprimanded a lot of times -- all because of their involvement in the capture and termination of the evil spirit, Park-Il-Do. I like how realistic it got, how it definitely affected and dominated all the aspects of their lives and relationships.

ACTING: Not only the main leads, but even the supporting and minor characters have strong acting chops, especially all the possessed characters. Their realistic acting gripped your attention from start to finish, allowing you to feel both sympathy and righteous indignation to all the people who have hurt them.

MUSIC: It's really hard to pick a favorite aspect of the show when everything is just mind-blowing. From the opening soundtrack to the background music- to the terrifying rhythms and melodies of the rituals and scenes- everything is just flawlessly created. This drama has my favorite track of all time - "Somewhere", which is just hauntingly beautiful. Both the original and memory version of the song has that bittersweet and melancholic feel to it. I simply love it.

REWATCH: I've already rewatched this series many times. So the rewatch value is still definitely high. I just steer clear of the first half of episode 1. Because that episode almost made me "nope" out of watching it, TBH. I persevered thankfully.

TLDR: This is, so far, the best Korean drama I've watched. It exceeded all my expectations. The fact that I wasn't even into horror and gore and it still drew me in episode after episode is a huge thing for me. Really impactful and memorable. I will never forget this series. Thank you OCN for such a wonderful series.

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