Reviews

Beautiful love story!
The film relies on a careful exchange of romanticism with that of the supernatural elements that, plausibly, promote the growth of its two main characters and their love relationship. It does not fit into the overly tempted notion of the tragic and common loss in novels, especially considering how many other films usually have one of the characters with some deteriorating disease or terminal illness to defend ideas of forced separation. His uniqueness in the narrative structure separates it from similar films that maintains the genre and, along with an excellent cast and direction, produces an emotionally touching, unconventional, and ultimately quite memorable viewing experience.
"Tomorrow I Will Date With Yesterday's You" makes you think more about the situation in which the two main characters were and the consequences that this would mean to them.
By Japanese standards it may have been some movie, but it is not, the story is well written, it has a coherent logic, it seems to be difficult to understand at first, but they have a transition of interest that makes you understand it perfectly. It's worth it!

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The queerbaiting issue aside, I'm conflicted

Was the show enjoyable? sure, until a certain point. However, the last episodes were way too rushed and too many things were going on, as if the writers tried to wrap up every single plot line they presented throughout the series, but the end result is bad and almost unwatchable. The ending itself is just completely ridiculous. I won't add spoilers, I'll just say I almost immediately snorted with contempt when I watched it.

And then there is the queerbaiting issue. While realistically a gay couple would never live happily ever after in the Joseon era, the show is full of events and characters that just wouldn't happen at that age. So anachronism definitely wasn't the issue. Why did the writers halfway through the show decided to take a step back and turn the romance into a bromance? Who knows. I just hoped queerbaiting was a thing of the past. I guess I was wrong.

The acting itself was decent, again, considering the unbelievable plot line.

The music was annoying, but I guess that's a personal thing.

Wouldn't watch again, 6/10.

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Modern Movie With A Classic Touch!

From the first scene, you can tell it's a promising film with a sweet-bitter ending.

All characters are likable and adorable or even unobtrusive. I laughed so much, I felt touched, excited, and cried... everything was really good. From the story to the characters, the direction, and the music. 10/10 overwhelming!

On the other hand, the story is not for everyone. If you don't enjoy stories like "A Little Thing Called Love" I say don't watch it! It's not your cup of tea.

At the last, I liked how they make the characters kind of mature, logical, and have self-awareness. it's not all about feelings and following whims. it's about good and bad things and how it affects your personality and your beliefs as a person and on others too.

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"Don't give up-it's a galactic message!"

If you're looking for a taut suspenseful thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat, Burn the House Down may not fulfill your desire. More family mystery than vengeful thriller, two sisters determine to clear their mother's name regarding a fire from thirteen years ago by taking on their greedy stepmother. Think Scooby Gang rather than The Quiet Family.

Very minor spoilers:
Anzu and her sister Yuzu are convinced that Makiko, their mother's ex-friend and father's new wife burned down their childhood home thirteen years ago and destroyed their family in the process. Their mother who admitted to causing the fire is currently hospitalized with a case of amnesia and they are desperate to find evidence proving she is innocent hoping it will help her to heal. Anzu uses her best friend's name to get hired on as maid at Makiko's house. She's forbidden from going upstairs, exactly where she's hoping to search for evidence the hoarder might still have. Anzu is shocked to find Makiko's eldest son from a previous marriage is secluded in his room upstairs as he is thought to be working at a prestigious job out of the country. Kiichi suffers from agoraphobia and a really bad wig. The younger son, Shiji, is a med student and clueless and naïve Yuzu works on getting close to him. Their friend, Claire, is a computer geek who can breech any cyber security. The sisters' spineless and absent father hasn't contacted them in 13 years so Anzu's secret identity isn't hard to keep.

Burn the House Down had all sorts of plot devices to keep the story moving along: Revenge, amnesia, surprise allies, setbacks, character growth, red herrings, a little romance, and a couple of good slaps. Anzu's relationship with Kiichi was complicated and at first I wasn’t sure if it was going to be a Flowers in the Attic complication or Hannibal Lector wanting to eat her liver situation. As it turned out, Kiichi had his own guilt and burdens from the past that had crippled him. When they were children, Kiichi had given Anzu a compass and told her that the stars were always watching and they were telling her "Don't give up. It's a galactic message." Resilience and redemption were leading themes in this drama, right behind finding out who was behind the grotesque mask or in this case ugly sweater.

The sisters found out the hard way if you had to trust a shaggy looking guy who believed the stars were cheering us on or their father who hadn't sent so much as a birthday card in thirteen years, you'd better take your chances with the intergalactic messenger. As awful as Makiko was, and she was thoroughly unlikeable-a thief, egomaniacal, a homewrecker, liar extraordinaire, and completely lacking in compassion-their spineless father was even more repulsive. With the exception of Makiko and the father, the rest of the characters came in shades of gray and were mostly good people trying to find their way in the world, over and around the obstacles thrown in their paths.

As much as the drama was about discovering the truth regarding the fire, it also dealt with how people use social media to manipulate public opinion and how devastating doxxing can be. It also showed the addictive nature of having fans and needing positive affirmation from strangers. Both sides used the social media and netizens to their advantage. Makiko enjoyed having a reputation as the perfect wife, mother, cook, and housekeeper though none of those things were true. The Scooby Gang used the internet to help close in on their investigation and bait their quarry.

Despite the complex relationships and subterfuge, the drama managed to avoid falling into heavy melodrama or over the top makjang. It was a mostly light and easy thriller with a few surprises along the way. Anzu was able to put together a Scooby Gang made up of friends and family who became quite formidable. The guilty party might have gotten away with the fire if it hadn't been for those meddling kids who took the galactic message seriously and never gave up.

7/13/23

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Payback Delivers Everything I Love: Dark, Intense, Emotional, and Absolutely Addictive

This is probably one of the longest reviews I have ever written, but some stories leave such a powerful impression that they deserve more than just a few simple words. Payback is one of those rare series that stayed with me long after the final episode, not only because of its intense storyline, unforgettable chemistry, and incredible performances, but also because of the emotions, pain, healing, and deeper messages hidden beneath the surface.

I do not usually write reviews this detailed, but this drama impacted me in a way that very few BL series have.

Thank you to anyone who takes the time to read my thoughts. This review is divided into the following sections:
1. Introduction about loving revenge/mafia stories
2. Min as Sun
3. Story structure and timelines
4. Sun's backstory and revenge journey
5. Toptap as Jay
6. NC scenes and chemistry
7. Episode 8 love scene and emotional climax
8. Episode count discussion (12 episodes vs 10 episodes)
9. Entertainment industry commentary
10. Adaptation paragraph (novel/manhwa comparison)
11. Overall acting, story, music
12. Final verdict

What a fantastic series. This is exactly my kind of drama. I love stories centered around violence, revenge, and the mafia world because they create such an intense and thrilling atmosphere, and Payback delivered that from the very first minute.

This is my first time watching Min as Sun, and I am genuinely impressed. His performance is incredible. From his facial expressions to the changes in his hairstyle and hair color, he makes every version of Sun feel distinct and believable. I especially love how the series uses Sun's changing hair color to clearly show which timeline we are in. The constant transitions between the past and present are handled so well. The flashbacks never feel confusing or unnecessary. Instead, they gradually answer questions while introducing new mysteries, allowing the audience to piece everything together naturally. It is such a smart storytelling choice and one of my favorite aspects of the episode.

Sun's story immediately pulled me in. After years of carrying guilt over the deaths of his mother and younger brother, he continues to blame himself for a tragedy that was never truly his fault. The real betrayal came from someone he once trusted, and that pain fuels the revenge at the heart of the story. The title Payback feels fitting because every emotion, every wound, and every act of betrayal is building toward something powerful.

It is also my first time watching Toptap, and he made a strong impression as Jay. He was only 21 when he filmed this series. He once said that if he didn't get the role in Payback, he would have worked an ordinary job instead, but if he did get the role, he would give it everything he had. He definitely lived up to that promise. For someone so young, he delivered an incredible performance and showed remarkable talent. This was his first leading role, and I truly hope he gets many more lead roles in future series because he absolutely deserves them.

It's so hard to find a series that delivers both a strong, engaging plot and genuinely great NC scenes, but this series absolutely delivers on both, making it one of the most complete BLs I've ever watched. The kissing scene at the end of Episode 3 was intense and unforgettable. If you watch closely, you can even see the saliva dripping, which made it feel even more real, and I'm so glad it was an actual kiss rather than a fake one. The chemistry between them was intense, thrilling, and completely captivating. The riding scenes at the beginning of Episodes 4 and 6 were just as incredible and easily some of the hottest scenes I've seen.

And after watching more than 500+ BL series, I can honestly say Episode 8 delivered the most beautiful, intimate, and realistic love scene I have ever seen in the genre, and I am still SPEECHLESS. It never felt like I was watching two actors, it felt like I was witnessing two souls who truly belonged to each other. When Jay stand there holding the umbrella and Sun ran into his arms, holding him so tightly and begging him to cry, to finally let go of every wound, every grief, and every silent burden he had been carrying, my heart completely broke. It was heartbreaking and breathtaking at the same time. Every touch carried years of longing, every glance spoke louder than words, and every embrace burned with a quiet passion that felt impossibly real. The chemistry was undeniable, the emotions were overwhelming, and the cinematography captured every fragile heartbeat with such tenderness that the line between fiction and reality simply disappeared. It was not just a hot love scene, it was love finding its way through pain, sorrow, and healing, leaving behind a moment so raw, vulnerable, and unforgettable that it will stay with me for a very long time.

I also saw many people saying the series should have had 12 episodes instead of 10, but I think it is worth looking at the actual runtime rather than just the episode count. The later episodes were much longer than a typical drama, with Episode 7 around 75 minutes, Episode 8 at 87 minutes, Episode 9 at 68 minutes, and Episode 10 at 72 minutes. A standard series episode is usually around 50 minutes, so 12 episodes would be roughly 600 minutes in total. After adding up Payback’s actual runtime, the series already exceeds the length of many typical 12 episode dramas. For me, the issue is not about having more episodes, but how the story chose to use its time. I think the emotional journey and character development matter more than simply adding extra episodes.

One thing I want to mention is that I haven't read the novel or the manhwa, so I went into this series with no expectations and judged it purely as a drama rather than as an adaptation. I have seen many comments saying that the revenge was not as satisfying as it was in the original story, or that the drama did not fully capture the impact and depth of the novel or manhwa.
I understand why some people felt that revenge was not enough, but I personally see it in a different way. Sometimes revenge is not always about an eye for an eye or making someone pay in the same way. Sometimes the greatest revenge is simply finding peace and taking back control of your own life. For Sun, his true revenge was being able to heal, let go of the guilt and pain he had carried for so long, and finally allow himself to be happy. Seeing him stop living for revenge and start living for himself made his redemption arc even more meaningful and emotional.
I can see why people are comparing this series to the original novel and manhwa, and why some people may feel disappointed or unsatisfied. When you already have a strong emotional connection to a story, it is only natural to hope that the adaptation can capture the same feelings, impact, and satisfaction that made the original so meaningful. Howeve, I also believe that an adaptation should be judged based on what it achieves as its own medium. A novel or manhwa has more space to explore a character's thoughts, motivations, and inner struggles, while a drama has to rely on acting, cinematography, pacing, music, and visual storytelling to create the same impact. Changes are sometimes necessary, and the fact that something is different from the original does not automatically mean it is worse. Since I experienced Payback for the first time through the drama, I was able to appreciate the story, the characters, and the emotions without constantly comparing it to another version. For me, the revenge journey, the character development, and the emotional payoff were still powerful and engaging. In fact, this series has made me want to read the novel and manhwa afterwards because I am genuinely curious to see how they tell the story differently.

I also love how this series explores the dark truth behind the entertainment industry. It shows how older, more powerful people take advantage of young artists, manipulating and grooming them, not only through words but through sexual abuse, while convincing them that if they refuse, their dreams will never come true.
Imagine being a young actor with an entire life full of hope ahead of you, only to have it stolen by people you were taught to trust. It is heartbreaking to watch, yet it feels painfully real. I cannot help but believe that stories like this have happened in real life. This drama does not simply tell us about that reality. It makes us feel it, carrying us through the fear, the silence, and the pain that so many young people may have endured behind the spotlight.

Overall the acting is excellent, the story is engaging, the dark and intense tone is exactly what I was looking for, and the fight scenes were well executed. I also loved the music, which elevated many of the emotional and action-packed moments.

Payback has everything I want in a drama: compelling characters, emotional depth, revenge, chemistry, action, and a dark atmosphere that keeps you invested. It’s so rare to find a series that delivers a strong plot, excellent acting, and some of the best NC scenes all at the same time. This series has absolutely nailed every single box for me.

Payback has officially reached an incredible 8.9 on MDL, making it the highest rated BL ever! 🔥

For me, PAYBACK is shaping up to be the best Thai BL of 2026. ❤️

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Started well but...

The beginning 16 episodes are somewhat solid. Decent storyline, decent acting, beautiful costumes and set, and decent fighting scenes. However, as the story goes on, it felt like the Male lead lost his place. They tried to keep the love story between the two leads solid (I.e no one can really come in between them in term of how they feel for one another), however, with the lack of maybe strong acting, strong chemistry between the two leads, you end up not really feeling for the leads. You don’t feel happy when they realise they still love each other, and you don’t feel heartbroken when they break up again. I just don’t feel sad or heart breaking for this couple, which is strange, because I do enjoy the drama, yet somehow I don’t feel it 0.o

And as the story goes on, somehow my heart is ache for the second male lead. He’s selfish, he doesn’t know how to love her, but at the same time, how can you fault him when every time he tries, the female lead would just coldly shut him out. When you see her heart is slightly moved by his actions, she turned away, and again pour cold water all over him. And knowing the general’s story background makes you feel for him even more. When telling the story, the prince might have witness his mother being murder by his dad, and because of that, develop a woman phobia. But his dad loves him, and adores him, and the girl he loves, love him back, and he’s always on time to save her (of course, because he’s main lead lol). Compare to the general, who dad also killed mom, his dad did not acknowledge him. The girl who he loves, rather bear the bad mouths of the world just to be with her (sure there are other scheming reasons, but time and times he stood by her), always wants to save her but always a step late (typical second lead lol). Seeing the prince gets pardoned for any wrong things he did, and he gets punished for just one time being wrong. Anyone would turn psychopath. And you really feel his pains.

Long story short: the love story runs out of steam for me by 16, the will they won’t they is a bit old (this part takes place from 16-32), also not much of it when it seems pretty solid that the prince only has heart for the princess and vice versus. Is it bad? Not necessarily but need to be done well, and require great chemistry between the two leads, which as I mentioned before, totally lacking. And so in this case, it’s boring. I started watching and continue for the female lead mainly, she’s literally carrying the show. But as the show goes on after 16, it’s the second male lead that carry the show. It’s just because his character is the only one that has layers, that is complex, and you just don’t know how his heart acts, he has to follow his revenge plan, yet his heart couldn’t be ruthless, though sometimes he tried (he failed because he’s second lead, and he can’t win lol). And the actor who portrayed the General did a really good job, I think I will continue to watch for the general, and even if he turns out to be very terrible, it’s understandable. And this brings another minus for this show. My impression of the drama title is that the female lead was so heart broken that her hair turn white (yup, a rip off of the famous white hair maiden story), however, so far, I felt like her pains aren’t great enough (and with 23 eps to go, I’m not sure we have room to develop that great pain either). Considering the background and literally 9 mo of emotional turmoils the General has to face (the various events happen in that 9 mo), he is the only person so far qualifying to go white hair lol.

And because of this reason, the rewatch value for this series is like almost zero. The music is ok, suitable but not memorisable. Oh last and not least, this series has zero kissing scene that is passionate. We finally get 1 kissing scene but it was a rush one and virtually no emotion =_=

Change my score to be 1 lower than the original score I gave because of the ending. While the ending was not rush, it was lacklustre! And they follow the usual cliche cdrama style where everyone but the main leads die! And 1 other insignificant couple. When you have the old emperor, who caused all these tragedies, who has been poisoned and has no strength to stand up, managed to hold 2 babies (total weight let say 12kg), then about 10mins later, die conveniently as the ML got to him, just to say BS stuff like: remember don’t follow my mistake =_= I rolled my eyes so hard when this last episode is trying to be all high and mighty and try to give moral lessons -.- the ML’s face when his dad die resembles of a smile rather than being sad and devastated -.- the FL’s cry scene when she remembered her first love was also not convincing, and follow the usual trope of cry loudly, holding on tight to the memory object, then finally hitting the floor >_> At least one thing could feel her pain....the floor >_>

Do I recommend this series? Yes for the general’s acting, and for Leo’s fans. I don’t feel much for leo’s Character because the chemistry between Leo and the FL, while better than with the ML, was not enough, and it is mainly the FL’s fault. She couldn’t do certain scenes right, and so you don’t feel connected with this couple, and they didn’t tie that end right either. Didn’t show she’s that heartbroken for RQ, so what she has not been living with her husband for a few years to be with RQ’s grave? But you don’t see it, you don’t feel it, it likes trying to show off screen. Leo’s best acting to me was the pose he did as he die on the throne. It is heartbreaking scene, a lifeless king, the epitome of his life, always the puppet, even in death. So watch the series, but be prepared to feel annoyed at the 2 leads, and FF their scenes. If you enjoy the 2 leads and their storyline, bonus :)

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While most people claimed they lost interest in the second half of the series, I found the first half very plain and the second half better – which led me to give it an 8/10 overall when it could've been as low as a 6/10 up until episode 7.

Now, don't get me wrong. Each episode from 1 to 7 wasn't bad; they just didn't add up into a good 7-hour experience for me. They were good one-by-one. If you have seen American series (police or crime series in particular), you'll know how they start an episode with one case and ends it within that episode, and nothing from that episode will affect the next episode at all. As soon as our main detective Park Kwang Ho arrives in 2016, Tunnel plays that card.

For character introduction purposes, not touching on the main plot for a short while is totally okay. However, the length of 7 episodes of doing that is painfully long – 44% in and there's still no progress whatsoever. That point kept bugging me all the way. Apart from that, the main characters are good at their job, so the one-case-one-episode is averagely fun on its own.

I believe that the story picks up around episode 8. From then on until episode 12, the pace of the drama suddenly changes in a good way. These are the most exciting and suspenseful 4 episodes in my opinion. There is a surprising amount of improvements from character development to story revelations. The last phase of the drama, episode 13-16, cools down a lot, but it still keeps playing with the main story. For me, it was fine. By the end of the series, I was more satisfied than I thought when I went through the first half.

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It's still too bad that after all those satisfying second half, I still don't see the point of making this a time-traveling drama. Of course, the "tunnel" and the time-traveling play a part in this story. I just think that they could've made use of this theme much more – or dropped that idea completely.

The main character who time-travels lacks a lot of "oldies" qualities I expected to see from its premise. By this I mean that he could've possessed old-school yet surprisingly useful methods that help with the modern crime-solving process, or rather appear really countrified that he looks funny. Instead, he adapts to the modern world so well. If this wasn't a time-travel drama and this character was a detective from the present time, it'll still work just fine. It feels almost as if the writers are using this "time-traveling" trigger word just to call for attention.

At the same time, Tunnel cannot escape a lot of clichés in making their characters and criminals, and even situations. A lot of things were revealed by words rather than actions. Many mysteries are solved in a blink of an eye after dragging them for so long. It's like when things build up to a certain degree and you're almost excited, the next moment it becomes "Oh... That's it?"

The cast and their acting really save the entire show. They're extremely great in every given situation, although again, you'll have to get to the second half of the show to see so. I rated their acting a 10/10 although some small side characters are so-so because they don't have much impact anyway.

The background music and sound effect cues aren't awkward, so I gave it a 7/10, but they mostly just went through my ears instead lingering around for more impact. This is the genre that doesn't need emotional OSTs to play at heartbreaking moments anyway. I still wished I ended it with one or two songs to keep listening to. I ended up with none.

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Final thoughts: I wouldn't suggest my friends to watch this for the time-traveling. I would suggest them to watch simply because it's a good crime drama with good acting. I liked it – don't get me wrong after I point out all those cons. I didn't regret watching this show. Also, I barely rewatch dramas, and a crime drama can be either too predictable or too gruesome to rewatch, so I gave that part a low score.

Overall, it's a 8/10 for me because it does only 75~80% of what it initially promised to do. This score is not to be compared with other dramas, especially the ones that are not from this genre.

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This drama is made to give you butterflies! The romance is just beautiful...

Two calm and young humans fall in love amidst a snowstorm in a snowy country! This sentence sums the whole drama up.

From the beginning, we get to see lovers who fall in love in a pure way, just like snow. It's just serene and sweet, and nothing more.

There are obstacles. There are past issues. There are some grains of mystery involved, but their romance development is on-point and flowing like the wind.

The scenery is marvelous! we get to see European cities covered in snow, trees, and cute cafes. It's one of those Aesthetic dramas that satisfy your craving for beauty.

The OSTs and main songs are sooo beautiful. The lyrics match the whole story and it's mesmerizing.

Also, there is no love triangle or exes from the past.
The leads have the healthiest relationship ever and their communication is so sweet.

Also, it's notable to mention that this drama has the most beautiful romantic scenes. The leads get to kiss and hold hands whenever they are given the chance! it's just pure ROMANCE.

Overall, a very sweet and romantic modern Cdrama. It's a must-watch imo :)

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"No Regret" was my first adventure in this genre. A love between a poor and a rich is zzzz... Besides, the theme homossexuality is still a tabu in some countries. When you add those explicit scenes... So I thought it had to be boring, reason why I avoided yaoi-themed movies since then.

I was wrong. Those things are on the story, but we can't deny that it has its own way to develop it. Su-min is a poor man who goes to the big city trying to be someone; blind by his proud, he tries to succeed without no one helping. Jae-min is a playboy who has everything he ever wanted, but it seems he never experienced love before. The way they interact the whole time is so sutile, and at the same time is so intense... Su-min, Jae-min and the rest of the characters are people living their own lives, without that "protagonist-personality" and way of thinking so present on romantic movies. There's not heroes and villains. All we see is just people.

Like Juniko ?? said here, "each one (line) is used wisely". That's a story conveying extra-real feelings, bringing us the real emotions in our own real lives. More than romantic dialogues, the movie talks in the action, the gesture, the finest expression of emotion, at the point the story flows by that aspect. The whole thing goes naturally. It's not like a boring scenario that had a good make-up.

Has been a while since I watched a movie like this one, so I watched again a lot. Not only because of the sex scenes, I'm not a pervert! I just love seeing their love being build in such a rich way.

If any of you have such a good recommendation, please tell me. Thanks in advance. ^^

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BEST PLOT TWIST EVER

Omg I almost got scammed when I read the plot summary above. I thought the drama would be very light and easy to watch just like other hologram love drama.

THIS DRAMA IS WAY ABOVE MY EXPECTATION. First, there are 4 boys who are locked up in a castle-like house and they need to become perfect. Once they become perfect, the antagonist still does not want them to live freely. Instead, the antagonist wanted gain more profit from the four boys. Therefore, the four boys need to escape to gain their own freedom. They also need to accept the risk of not being accepted by the society, since they are isolated for so long. There two girls from the outside world that coincidentally get connected to this four boys and together they help the boys to find a way out.

There are a lot of plot twist but the best one is in episode 30, where I thought that there is no way out anymore, It turns out that they are not living in the real world. They are living inside a game and to get out they need to die in the game, Imagine killing yourself when you do not want to die yet. The most interesting part of this drama is the adventurous part, where they need to find way to get out of the house but are block by Xu Guang Han numerous time.

This drama is not like other dramas where the love story gets too cheesy and boring in the end. It become even more intriguing towards the end. THIS IS ONE OF THE MUST WATCH CHINESE DRAMA!

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This drama should be called Waste of time instead of About Time.

It was so interesting in the beginning,the first episodes made me actually excited but...What happened writers?! I even started this drama with high expectations,the plot looked really promising and the cast didn't looked bad at all. I love Lee Sung Kyung as an actress so i was 100% sure this was going to be bomb.
But halfway through the story,the show lost it's way. The writers fucked up so much. This had the potential to be unique and refreshing until the end but the wrong choices and the dragging scenes were excruciating to watch. I forced myself to finish it,i don't even know why,i should've stopped at episode 8 cause that was the only one that i loved and the only one that made me cry. I feel proud for staying till the end.

Sadly,i don't like skipping episodes,but i had to skip a lot of scenes in the last 4 ones. I was pretty much done with this drama. Even Rowoon(the beauty from Sf9 <3) didn't make it better,i kept watching for him but his relationship also dragged so much,it started to be annoying and immature.
And so many characters were fillers. The evil brat that the writers seemed to love and prolonged her story to the point i wanted to jump out of the window and that guy only speaking in one language but understanding korean fluently. Like wtf,why? And the mom,istg this ahjumma always has irritating characters.

And i thought the ending was going to be okay but hell no. The writers just quit and walked out. This reminded me of when i used to do my homework 5 minutes before class started. Exactly the same,rushed and lazy written.

Overall,execution dragged the plot considerably and it's a shame because so many good actors wasted their time on this. I wouldn't recommend even if you're bored but if you have insomnia and you want to fell asleep,watch it.

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Controverse Love 4 Love In The Air <3

LEGITIMATE 18+ ranking
ALSO because it´s written by MAME and there are displayed CONTROVERSIES stuck to the way both main characters approach each other etc.
(TW: non-consensual touching, homophobia, manipulation, mind games, s*a*, torture)
If you´re not okay with those, I would not recommend watching this series.

Story >> 7.5 >> 8.0 >> 7.5 >> 7.0
While this story contains a lot of elements that appeal to me, because I am a fan of controversy, it´s somehow not entirely intriguing, hence plotwise not capturing me as much as I want it. However, what I find significant is the emphasis on Phayus's kinky and controlling nature and the interesting balance of power in the main couple´s relationship. I can see that I start liking the plot because it´s getting more capturing and unpredictable the more it is broadcasted.

Production (>> 8.5)
I´m impressed by the visual quality, such as the cinematography, of this series and how well the screenwriting was done. When watching the series on YouTube tho, especially when the censored parts are cut, the cutting is a bit confusing. Overall I think the team did a great job!

Acting/Cast >> 9.0 >> 9.5 >> 9.0 >> 8.5
I don´t have much to nag here, Boss is showing off some cheeky skills while playing Phayu. The roles were distributed thoughtfully and I think that all the actors fit their characters. If they were following hardcore clichés of how Rain was perceived by some readers of the book, my view on this would have been different.

Music >> 7.5 >> 7.0
Personally, I don´t find any of the soundtracks outstanding and they give off a little bit of a Sims-Vibe. However, there are no errors in matching it to the series' overall vibes and I´m hoping that some darker scores are yet to be revealed, so that I can lift my rating a little. Gotta appreciate the singing tho.

Rewatch Value >> 8.0 >> 7.5
I´d watch it again if I will be looking for a series where one of the main protagonists is as manipulative and daring as Phayu. I like how they respectfully embodied the sensuality between the main couple.

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plot with no stakes, no real consequences

it was cute and fun but if you’re looking for a serious story and/or a serious romance, this isn’t it. it’s one of those shows you watch in between shows that you’re waiting for.

lots of plot twists that didn’t make sense, hard to follow what the actual rules are and what the stakes are, if any. i was so ??? that kang siyeol’s grandma was in ONE episode after the switch and then never again lol weird ass plot device that could’ve had more meaning but whatevs.

the chemistry was there, but i didn’t believe they were all in for each other. when there are rarely any stakes, even dying isn’t that permanent, then it’s hard for me to see strength in their connection. all the actors were great, but the roles they played didn’t have enough depth in their writing or directing.

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It's hard to explain why this drama has a special place in my heart without giving any spoilers, but I will try my best to convey all my thoughts without giving any unnecessary details.

The first few episodes bombarded me with many plot twists and "shocking revelations" to the point, I started to call the show "soft makjang". So many things happened, I was left in a state of confusion, but it made the show that much better, since the main focus of the drama is the aftermath and the process of healing and re-connecting with the family. We were getting to know the facts with the characters, learning bits and pieces, which helped me empathize with them more. I could understand why they struggled with the new situation, since I myself was confused about what was truly happening.

It touches on subjects such as LGBT, rape (did not happen during the show, but one of the characters was a victim of it, and it played a part in their story), ending a relationship when both sides do not agree on when and how to part ways, misunderstanding based on differences of characters and how you show you care for people.

Through the 3 siblings, we can observe different struggles people face in life. The oldest, Eun Joo and how she always tried to be strong, level headed and control her emotions. The middle sibling Eun Hee, trying to keep the family together and pacify all the sides in times of conflicts, acting as if she is carefree. The youngest Ji Woo, who tries to find himself, learn how to be independent, as he watches his family fight with each other.

I just truly cared for these characters, so when the drama ended, I already missed them. Did I cry? Yes. Not to mention, it has some of the best, natural and well paced romance I watched this year and the best "not a confession" confession scene (you'll know when you see it).

Did anything bother me? Not really. I was not that interested in the Sang Shik and Jin Sook story, and it was the weakest part for me personally, as I was annoyed with some choices both of them were making.

Overall, I have a feeling I might rewatch the show, or at least a few scenes this year. The good set of characters was for sure the core value of it.

Ps. Kim Ji Suk... damn, he fine.

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If you're looking for a simple story, move over and watch other dramas out there because this is not meant for you.
The story has a certain charisma of bringing sci-fi to a lighter romance novel-ish type of feels. Sure first few episodes will make your mind think like "WTF am I watching??" but as the episodes progress you get the satiafaction of finding out the reason behind everything that happend in the previous episode.
The director was so clever in putting lots of small hints and details that you will definitely see once you rewatch the episodes because they will make you rewatch to have that "oh did i miss that? let me see that again" moment.
You definitely need to level up your perspective in this series. It feels like Inception, Oldboy, and Fringe put into one pot, sprinkled with Korean Royalty and boiled in one sweet and spicy revenge water.
Overall, it was a good watch. Probably best not to binge watch at first then rewatch after you finished to check back on the cool details you might have missed.

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