Reviews

Something fresh, light with a little bit of mystery

Watch this if you are looking for something light with a little bit of intrigue. I was in a drama slump wherein I couldn't get pass first few episodes. I found this drama light, intriguing and entertaining that I was able to binge watch it upon release in the streaming platform. I found the two lead actors quite refreshing, as well as the supporting characters. It was very light and funny. The SML and SFL were so funny. It was your usual troupe but I like the twist in the end which I didn't expect. Although not a perfect story continuity-wise, but it was cute an okay and entertaining drama - enough for me to finish the whole thing. Bonus -- I love their scenes in the farm. I look forward to the future dramas of the leads! Ending was simple but sweet.

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To be honest, it's difficult to write a review about Don't Forget Me. Given the context of the plot, the film strikes many emotional cords, but to discuss them would give the movie away. Here's my best effort:

Don't Forget Me is a film that tackles heavy and sensitive subject matter. It's a story about dealing with grief and struggling to cope with ones reality, and the frustrated dedication of those that love and support the bereaved. The movie is a slow burner. The story takes its time unfolding — you wonder what the intentions of the characters are, what this is really all leading to. Suddenly, the movie comes into its own, and it's like you've been hit by a truck. You were fine, and then you're in tears. You suddenly realise the depth of the movie, that you really were watch a true romance but you didn't know the extent of it til the moment it hit you. Suddenly you see that every character has a purpose, and every character acted the way they did for a reason.

It's a beautiful film, and for those of you, who like me, have tried to be a pillar of strength for someone, this is definitely one you can relate to.

If you're looking for something bright and light, this isn't it. But I urge you to come back again when it suits your mood.

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Just watched this - it IS quite funny, especially if the viewer has annoying siblings (I don't but I still loved it). However, the ending is bittersweet and will tug your heartstrings.....and tear ducts. I cried my way through the last ten minutes or so. So go in with tissues, chocolate and water - you will need it....unless you have no soul, in which case don't worry.

This movie is really lovely - and definitely brings home the old saying "you never miss someone until they're gone...." We often don't appreciate those we love the most until they're no longer around. The ending is a cliffie so be prepared to hurl abuse, tearfully or otherwise (mine was very tearful but very definitely annoyed too). I hope there's another movie where she perhaps helps another set siblings overcome their differences without ending up as she did or something - so that way we at least know if the end......changed the cliffie (sorry, I don't know how to word that without spoilers....so take what I offer and run with it).

So now to the usual review stuff:

STORY - The story was pretty good; very much along the lines of what I think many siblings wish for when not getting along. The beginning was very funny. I laughed a lot and I thought the female lead would immediately regret her decision, but she didn't. The last ten minutes or so were very bittersweet - unless you have heart of stone, I mean it, you WILL cry though it's not really an unhappy ending......just...open,

ACTING/CAST - the two leads playing the siblings were EXCELLENT. Seriously they were really good; especially Peng Yu Chang who played the older brother Shi Fen. That young man is destined for great things you can see that already. The rest of the cast were pretty good too - the mum was played well, and the actor playing her boyfriend was very goo in his role as the bumbling but earnest stepfather to be. But Chang Peng Yu was the best of the whole lot, with Zhang Wendy as Shi Miao a solid second. The last scene will tear your heart I swear and you'll see why I'm praising these two so highly.

MUSIC - that's a straight 8 all day. Not terrible, but not memorable either; though it did really play well with the final scenes.

RE-WATCH VALUE - ooh that was a tough one to call; for me it was a definite 9 because I would definitely watch this again AND make all my bickering cousins sit down with their siblings and watch it too. But others might feel differently.

OVERALL - for me it was a 9.5 because the message was clear and simple - be grateful for who you have in your life because when they're gone you'll miss them and it's often to late then. It's a simple message and one that too many movies and dramas overdo; really labour the point, thereby making it a lot more complicated than it should (or even needs to) be. This movie however, kept it simple and the more touching because of it. The message remained the same, but more simply told and therefore all the more moving because of it.

I think it's also a movie that parents who leave older siblings as the younger children(s) caretaker/babysitter/entertainer, etc should watch. YOU have kids because YOU want them, so DON'T make the older ones the 'parents' to the younger ones so that you can have a social life/career - you should've thought of that BEFORE producing offspring.

Finally, I would say this - really, give this movie a try........you won't regret it.

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I started this one a while back when I was on a Jang Hyuk drama spree. I only managed to watch about half the eps before I lost interest. I didn’t plan on dropping it though because I knew I wanted to finish it someday…

Story: One of the first romcoms to be labeled as such, it comes with all the laughs and romance one would expect. It did have a nice plot which was an added surprise. The story is mostly about how the main male character changes from a rich douchebag to a poor guy with a purpose. The first half of the drama is the developing romance and the downfall of the male lead. Then in the second half (after a time jump) it kind of turns into an office drama with the bad guys competing with the good guys. The ending was very cute.

Acting/Cast: Jang Hyuk was awesome but his character was crazy! Like he just goes nuts and starts randomly punching things around him or yelling out of nowehere quite often. He was quite interesting though. Jang Nara matched him very well chemistry wise and I loved her character because she was strong and could handle his wild temperament. The only thing I didn’t like about her character is her accent. It was just too much. As for Ryu Soo Young (My Princess, Ojakgyo Brothers) it was so weird seeing him play the villain. But he played a very good one. As for the rest of the cast I didn’t find their characters that important.

Music: Very old school but I guess it went well with this drama because it is very old!

Rewatch: I liked it so I would watch it sometime in the future.

Overall Successful Bright Girl is impressive for an older drama.

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When Healing meets Romance and begins Restoration

What a sweet series that allows one to get vested in each character without dragging the pace. The trauma points were not overly done. The push and pull in business dealings were just enough to help understand the dynamics of each character's decision making. The budding romance was humble, communicative and endearing. The OST was okay and overall production was solid. The supporting cast was good at driving home the concept of differences from big city beliefs and smaller community relations and loyalty. This was quite enjoyable and a different pace from most romance dramas. FL and ML chemistry was warm and swoon worthy at times. Very good balance and life evolving and love blooming in the midst. Worth the watch.

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Well, where do I start?

First things first. Should you or should you NOT watch this drama? Well, it depends. Are you ok with some pretty bad special effects and fake looking props? (Although there were moments they werent that bad) Can you handle a plot that is most of the times not realistic at all? (Ok, I get this is Fantasy, but still).

If not, this is NOT the drama for you.

If you want to watch it for the romance between the main leads, then I will still recommend it, as that was probably the ONLY reason I still watched this drama.

The romance between Ka Suo and Li Luo is pretty sweet and there are a lot of kiss scenes (and some hot ones too), but that is all mixed with a bunch of other ingredients that make the full story and it turns out to be kinda of a weird recipe. This is just my opinion. I believe that there are people out there who fully enjoyed this drama and watched all the episodes without skipping any parts. That was NOT the case for me. If there is one thing I did a lot was skipping. Skipping to what? Well, thats obvious. To the romantic scenes between the main leads.

If like me you are still going to watch this ONLY for the ROMANCE, then I recommend you to watch all the episodes while skipping the parts that you do not find interesting.

The romance starts in episode 3, if I remember correctly. And in almost all of the episodes till the end of episode 37 you will have plenty of romantic scenes. I personally skipped episodes 38-50 and only read the recaps so I wouldn’t completely miss everything that happened meanwhile, like new characters showing up and stuff like that. Why did I not even bother to watch all those episodes? Well, remember I was in this for the romance, and without spoiling it too much, lets say one of the main leads is going to pull a "sleeping beauty" through all of those episodes. If there is no interaction between the main leads in all those episodes and I was in this for the romance, why bother watching? Well, in episode 51 the "sleeping beauty" wakes up. I picked it up there and watched it till the end (since there were only 11 more episodes left anyway).

In the end of the day, if you like Fantasy a lot and can handle all the faults on this show (there were a lot in my opinion) watch everything. It will take a while, since it is 62 episodes but it will be worth. If like me, you only want to watch some sweet romantic scenes between the main leads and ignore all the bad acting and props, and pretty much everything else, then the key word is SKIP.

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Had to Fast forward to finish it, the ML is the only saving grace

Zhang Si Nian (ML): The actor that portrays this character does very well with roles that feature him as a genius. But he was much better in Unforgettable Love (2021). The ML in the show was pretty nice but a bit slow on the uptake. Once he figured out that he was in love in the FL, he didn't play any games and tried his best to win her over.

Yun Shu (FL):
The Bad:
Childish character with annoying voice. I had to clench my teeth to keep going, because i just needed to know the entire story. I don't mind it when a character is a little bubbly, it makes things interesting, but Yun Shu was kind of unbearable. The ML looked better with Yun Shu's sister when they were all together in a frame.
The Good:
She was a nice person overall and also didn't play any games. She even reminded me of Shim Chung / Seo Hwa from The Legend of the Blue Sea even before she actually put on a mermaid costume.

It was an okay drama. Not worth a rewatch though.

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Sooo good yet so draggy...

Once upon a time there was a lonely prince who lived in a palace where toxic masculinity and rivalry ruled... The women where abused and used as objects owned by men. Tradition was supposedly strong in the palace and any one male or female who tried to go up against it was tossed in to a marriage against their will, pretty much forced to commit suicide or ended up in prison. People where scheming plots all over the place...

But one day the prince met a girl whom was warm, funny and loved food above anything. And while he could not make her his wife he made her is concubine... Which made for the start of a whole bunch of people working towards new lives... and yes A New Life Begins...

The drama has a lot of everything, maybe a bit to much of everything as nothing seems to get fully explored and both drags out for what seems like an eternity only to be wrapped up with a few lines here and there... maybe a slow mo scene of the result but the turns are fast and the process extremely inconsistent. Is this the result of poor writing, censorship or a writer who just wants to include a bit to much I do not know... But it did feel very off at times. Which is really sad because there is so much good in here.

Both leads are lovable, good actors, have great chemistry and lovely interactions with each other with some pretty steamy kisses. Unfortunately. their story does not get nearly enough screen time as all those other side plots take away from their time together. However I do have to say that this is a male lead who even though he grew up in the toxic palace actually seems to have some kind of respect for women and can both take no for an answer and seems to try to avoid forcing himself on the female lead even if they are supposed to try to consummate the guy seems to want to the girl to actually want to consummate before consummating. Showing some type of consent culture.

The food in this drama is mouth watering, making you hungry every single episode.

The side couples are mostly lovely and show a bunch of ways of power relations and personalities... As we get to see the difference between domestic violence practiced by people with power and violence in the relationship practiced by people with less power. Non are good but we do get to see a nuance done pretty well.

We also get to see a lot of women empowerment, sisterhood and a potential poly relationship that could have been so good if the drama was not so obsessed with monogamy vs concubine culture.... There is one truly annoying character but she grew on me after a while, but then she pretty much disappeared from the plot.

This drama is a good pick for those who like c-historical with many episodes and do not mind the draggy parts. For those who want to see 100 years of woman's rights battles cut down to about 3 or 4 years and are okay with getting pebbles of great romance between sisterhood, friendship, family relations, politics, food and pretty much everything in-between...

However if you are like me you will miss the pebbles and find it draggy and may find yourself struggling to finish it wanting to drop it yet still not being able to score it to low because it just has so many good parts in it...

Also the predictability is pretty high so do not expect to be kept on your toes, at all.

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A story with several meanings

Although Tae-in reluctantly took in the young girl, Cho-hee, to stay at his place, they eventually started gaining trust and opening up to each other. To me, this shows symptoms of Stockholm syndrome, which is a psychological connection formed with their captors during captivity. Although Tae-in did not intend to abduct Cho-hee, ultimately he is still a kidnapper who hid her away from the public eye and stopped her escape attempts. Cho-hee bonded well with Tae-in’s younger sister, and at times, it indeed felt like she was truly happy there and did not want to leave the place. Although we don’t know much about her family, but it was brought up several times in the movie that her family obviously doted on the son more, and she was actually not the intended kidnap target as well, highlighting the issue of patriarchy in her family.

However, at times the line between whether if Cho-hee is suffering from Stockholm syndrome or not is quite blurred, as both Tae-in and Cho-hee could not make up their minds on how they perceived each other. For Tae-in, he just wanted to quickly get the job done and send Cho-hee away, however he still had a conscience when he knew that Cho-hee’s life was in danger. As for Cho-hee, she couldn’t decide to trust Tae-in or not, but ultimately, she makes her decision at the ending, which I will not spoil here.

Since Yoo Ah In has no lines in the movie at all, his actions and body languages are quite obvious and easy to understand, without being too exaggerated. From his expressions, ranging from joy, to worry and desperation, his character, Tae-in was able to communicate well and relate his thoughts with the on-screen characters and with the audience watching the movie. In an interview, Yoo Ah In described his character as such, “Tae-in doesn’t speak. I don’t think he is unable to speak at all as he makes some noises sometimes. He refuses to communicate with the world for some reasons.”


Overall, this movie has various blurred lines, on the overarching theme of good and evil – for the audience to interpret in their own ways, such as the lead characters working in a job that is essentially a crime, but what they do could also be rationalised as okay; and if Tae-in and Chang-bok are actually good or bad, as they are kidnappers, albeit kind-hearted ones who actually looked after their abductee. The movie ending itself is something that we did not really expect, but it does match the overall theme well.

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This drama is simple, straightforward and easy to watch. It's perfect for those days you just want uncomplicated comic relief. That said, although its meant to be a light rom-com, the drama still manages to touch on heavier themes such as: abusive relationships, single motherhood, compassion for the elderly, making sacrifices, and facing your fears. And don't skip the ending credits or you'll miss the storyline teasers!

The characters, if not all fully developed, were funny...often silly at times. Matsuda Shota as Dr. Kota was a juxtaposition of a bumbling lovestruck goofball with that of an efficient genius doctor. Matsuda is really such a versatile actor--he never fails to entertain me. Takei Emi as Mako also didn't disappoint. She was the opposite of Dr. Kota in personality and helped to ground his character whenever his eccentricities went overboard. I especially loved Dr. Kota and Mako's chats at the end of each episode--everytime Dr. Kota said anything inappropriate, Mako would mysteriously produce a "blue slipper" and smack him on the head with it. Hah. The supporting characters were also nice to watch--sometimes adding insightful words of wisdom; more often just providing comedic relief with their antics.

This show has a great song that was a perfect episode ender - Taiyou no Megami by Leo Ieiry. Very upbeat and optimistic, like the show.

I doubt I would re-watch this drama from start to finish. But I would definitely replay the funny parts where Matsuda is being geeky and adorkable.

Pros
With only 11 episodes (gotta love jdramas for this), you can easily marathon this in a couple of days. The other plus is its renzoku format--each episode concludes a storyline, so it's unnecessary to watch each episode to get the jist of the show. However, you may miss out on some of the storyline and character development that continues from episode to episode.

Cons
Some of the situations and events are a bit unrealistic in how they are addressed and/or resolved. And just about every episode is a cliche. But I think that's part of the show's charm. And I'll also admit to being guilty of fast-forwarding to the more entertaining parts whenever some of the episodes dragged along.

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a cut above your typical run of the mill boys over flowers reverse harem story

If you had told me that i would genuinely enjoy a reverse harem drama w four suitors, one of whom is basically a vampire, i would've never believed you.

on principle i don't particularly enjoy love triangles unless like, there is a clear endgame and one of the options just exists for the main character to learn from (for ex. fuheng in yanxi palace). this is because usually they exist in dramas for melodrama and fantasy scenarios of what if these two different hot boys were into you lol. maybe i just haven't seen that many but i've just always written them off as understandably popular for a reason but generally silly and cringey dog blood.

lost you forever/chang xiang si was very immersive because it offered a similar reverse harem formula or structure, but the basis and core of WHY there are multiple options is a cut above the typical boys over flowers reverse harem story. it is not simply that xiaoyao is a stand in for the audience, and her options are a good boy and a bad boy please choose which one u like more, y'know? xiaoyao is a multi faceted character who has been deeply traumatized and has a host of abandonment issues that affect her relationships as an adult. her two main options, tushan jing and xiang liu, represent two different pathways for her to progress- and the reasons why she likes them are also informed by her trauma and experiences. tsj offers her kindness, softness and gentleness, unquestioned support and care, he represents way for her to truly heal and learn to trust other people again, to grow in a positive manner. while xl’s coldness, darkness and danger are attractive to her because he is a kindred spirit, and also what she knows and understands. xiang liu's love on the other hand doesn't push her personal growth, but rather supports who she is in the present. he abandons her, pushes her away, never allows her to know how he loves her, and puts the bigger political picture above her. he teaches her archery so that she can continue to stand alone without relying on others to protect her. but tsj will come to prove that she CAN rely on others (or should at least in s2). it makes complete sense why narratively tsj is endgame, but her storyline with xl is equally, if not more compelling exactly because it makes complete sense why they love each other, but ultimately won't be together. not even gonna touch on cx because he’s a non-option whose relationship with her represents the worst possible route you can go post trauma. congrats y’all actually got me to enjoy a love triangle!!!! sort of pentagonal!!

the strengths of the story are the character and relationship writing. the doomed trauma bonded siblings, xiaoyao and cangxuan are the core relationship of the story and both characters are nicely done. i particularly like cx, what an ambitious little freak who got his wires crossed and is too weird about his sister! zhang wanyi is really excellent, i enjoyed watching his acting SO much... his tight little smile that never reaches his eyes…LOL yang zi is also great and particularly committed, especially as wen xiaoliu. xl and tsj are generally well written too, as is chenrong xinyue, and even the minor support character sang tian'er was well written and so memorable (honestly her role as a former sex worker was more progressive than the entirely of a dream of splendor). However you can really tell the writer only cared about Some characters while others only exist to cause conflict, namely fangfeng yiying is just Evil for like no good reason, and tushan hou is similarly just senselessly evil. i think the writer definitely struggles with villains and they are pretty one dimensional. generally however, the characters are pretty good, and good character writing can really drive home the themes and take a story so far! AND YET......

the plot........ my absolute biggest gripe with cxs is the PLOT. i find the plot so incredibly inept at supporting its characters, and unable to push the narrative forward. the story is extremely character lead, to the point where most of the show is just conversations, with very little Events Happening. why does cx achieve the throne at the end? HOW does he even achieve the throne at the end? because grandpa said so. thats why. as an avid lover of political court dramas and little plots and schemes, this show was so disappointingly short of that. and like, i'm not asking for nirvana in fire or rise of phoenixes, because that would just be a different show, but like.... just a little bit of plotting please.... just more sense as to HOW cx is power hungry and ambitious, cunning and calculating instead of just telling us over and over again. mainly all i saw was him getting hooked on drugs and building good relationships with the right people. i wanted him to take down his uncles and enemies one by one!!! doing more and more dastardly things to do so!! it just felt like the crown was given to him instead of him having worked to achieve it. i get that the author seems to mainly just want cx to represent this kind of classic cold, ruthless, power hungry character, and doesn't actually care for politics itself but like i can't help but feel kind of cheated out of what was promised in the first episode and the premise of his character. china's political drama genre is very popular and there are plenty of sources to pull from!! the princes’ struggle for power is a classic! as a result the story feels flat and like the characters are just existing in a blurry aesthetic background. these parts are just SO weak. like i don’t know who cx is as a ruler, i don’t know what his relationship is like with the common people, has he done anything for them? a ruler doesn’t exist without citizens, idg why we aren’t shown the ways cx built up power and support from the people. literally it’s just him interacting w the same ass two nobles who are already committed to him. similarly, tsj’s family is literally CARTOONISHLY evil, from torture to rape they’ve fuckin done it all!! they exist to purely just be evil and it doesn’t even make sense, why are they forcing him to be clan leader and marry ffyy when tsh and ffyy want to KILL him so she can openly be w tsh and he can be clan leader. idk maybe it will be explained next season but so far it’s just weak and lazy story telling. there are ways to tell a story about an abusive family that uses confucian values like filial piety and duty to manipulate its members and make it resonate in a real way- the same way that xy’s fear of abandonment resonates. if the writing was stronger they would be able to explore how they keep tsj trapped in this toxic family without resorting to the most outlandishly evil dog blood tropes. and xl too!!! his relationship w the chenrong army is SO WEAK and poorly written. like everything is for his adopted dad, but it just doesn’t feel enough, esp when the army others him for being a yao. if they had more scenes that developed his relationship with them, his devotion would be so much more believable. a scene of them singing around some burning bodies does not communicate the strength of their bond or conviction. nobody in the army is even NAMED. like if we actually got to know them and hear their stories, see how xl came to bond with them, it would just be so much more believable. in general this is the issue with the scriptwriting. cx, tsj and xl are all pretty well written by themselves, but they don’t have support from the plot to make it all make sense.

Not only is the plot writing weak, at times it is pure dog blood trash. for example, the entire plot abt xy getting tortured and killed by some complete RANDOM. clearly this random guy who we have basically NEVER met or heard of was being influenced by 5 wang and 7 wang who wanted to get rid of xy to get at cx, but there was so little build up, so little development. when it happens it feels like it's out of nowhere, and just happens in order to plant the seed that she's chi chen's daughter and to compare how our three leading men will react. i wanted it to be much more clearer why xy is a target politically, instead of like, just this random guy's revenge. just felt SOOO out of nowhere, shitty writing, poor development, and really took the quality of the story down sooo much. even worse tsj’s rape and forced marriage.... i have too many frustrations, the way they handled the rape was so abysmal i don’t even wanna talk about it lmao.

i found everything more successful and enjoyable in the first arc when they were still in qingshui town and xy was wxl. honestly i am also just a sucker for stories about the common people with common every day problems so that also contributed, but it truly felt so much stronger. i think that when the stakes are lower, more grounded, the writer is much more adept at creating a plot that can support its characters. the little political things that happened felt reasonable and believable, rather than later on when the stage is bigger and stakes are higher. i loved wxl’s found family, his everyday problems, and his relationship with xl and tsj was already well developed and fully communicated the themes and messages of the story. once wxl becomes xy and we are now in princesses and nobility and palace world it loses so much of the heart and charm it had originally. also all of the gender stuff! i appreciate that tsj often takes a narratively feminine role, but nothin’s gonna come close to how fun and queer and trans the first arc was.

on the whole this show boasts some strong characters in a weak plot. a reverse harem being used to examine the different paths one can take after trauma gives this show substance that most reverse harems don’t have, if only everything could be backed up by a carefully cared for plot. excited to see how things develop season 2!

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Peak Time is what every idol show should be!

I have never watched a survival show because they all seemed really "reality-ish" and toxic which I hate and I only decided to give this a chance because I really like many of the judges and I have to say I love this. From the concept to the way the participants treat each other and how the production and judges seemed to treat them is all really amazing.

The K-pop scene is a very cutthroat business and with so many idols debuting is really hard to make an impact, so what this show does is really amazing. Giving all these idols a second chance or a chance to be recognized is really amazing.

The first elimination was really heartbreaking but what the production did for the teams that did not make it is amazing! Giving them the songs/ choreography & clothes that they did not get to perform in is such a thoughtful gesture! Given that many of them come form really small agencies with little to no support, all those lessons they received can go a long way. I also noticed that they gave them the opportunity to showcase some of their talents and skills either by having to play some games, allowing some participants to MC something or participate in some outside segments. This will allow them to be noticed by some producers and maybe get casted in a variety show or maybe secure an MC position in a show further increasing their exposure in the future.

Peak Time really is what every idol show should be. It should put the idols first and give them all the necessary tools they need to succeed and make it!

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Where the Moon Rises: A princess with a plan and a soft-hearted hero

🔹 Would I rewatch? Yes,

✨ What happens when a determined princess meets the kindest man in the kingdom, and they discover how love can change their paths?

📕 Overview 🎬
🔹 20 episodes, historical romance
🔹 At the time of this review, all episodes have aired
🔹 Adapted from the novel Princess Pyeonggang by Choi Sa Gyu
🔹 Kim So Hyun portrays Princess Pyeonggang, a character who is brave and dedicated to her country.
🔹 Na In Woo plays the character On Dal, who is gentle, loyal, and braver than he realizes.
🔹 The story begins when a princess loses her memory after a royal tour incident, grows up as Yeom Ga Jin, and later meets a peace-first young man.
🔹 Ideal for historical romance enthusiasts who enjoy court politics combined with a tender storyline.

🌸 How It Felt Watching 💙
🔹 Setup: a palace filled with tension, where a determined heroine is on a mission, and a quiet hero steps up to help her out, all while keeping his heart intact.
🔹 Viewing feel: warm romance intertwined with the stakes of a palace setting, with a few heavier moments introduced later on.
🔹 Themes explored include love, duty, and courage.
🔹 I liked their chemistry. Even when things slowed down later on, I kept tuning in to see what they were up to.

✨ Cast & Acting
🔹Kim So Hyun as Pyeonggang felt right from the first scene, strong yet tender.
🔹 Na In Woo portrays On Dal as a calm character who grows into his courage, showcasing strong chemistry.
🔹 Supporting cast: a well-balanced mix of allies and rivals that holds the drama together.

🎶OST
🔹 "I Become Love To You" by Zia
🔹 "Against The Wind" by Ahn Ye Eun
🔹 "Tears Of The Moon" by Kang Tae Kwan

🎞️ Production Style
🔹 Setting and mood: forest paths, rivers, and court halls that feel lived-in and authentic.
🔹 Costumes and sets: period armor and robes that are clearly visible on screen.
🔹 The rhythm is generally steady, but it slows down to a softer pace later in the run.

☕ Tea Notes
🔹 What worked well was that the characters felt authentic together, and she took the initiative in the story.
🔹 What didn't: I felt some repetition in the palace arc, and the pace slowed near the end for me
🔹 Would I rewatch? Yes

☕ SpillTheDramaTea's Rating: 8/10
🌿 Tea-Scale: A nice brew, I enjoyed it

✏️ As SpillTheDramaTea, I really loved getting cozy with a classic historical K-drama.

✨ In the mood for a brave princess and a kind-hearted hero who learns to stand up for himself?

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I could barely wait a second to review this drama! I started watching this while reading reaction posts on the feed, and I just had to know what would inspire those posts... now I do! I marathon-ed through this drama in 3 days, because I was that hooked from the very beginning. I love a drama that gives me a good dose of "the feels", and although I didn't cry at all (which is very unlike me), this drama took me on a roller coaster ride of emotions. There is nothing mellow about this melodrama. There are plenty of punches thrown, lots of ugly tears, overloads of jealousy, mistaken identity (of course), and an daebak star crossed love relationship. I guess I can officially say I am a melodrama fan, but only when it's done right, and "That Winter, The Wind Blows" does it right!

I loved all the cast, and characters. I loved that all of them were flawed in some way, and that even minor characters had depth, and were complicated. I especially loved the chemistry between Jo In Sung and Song Hye Kyo! From their very first scene together, I saw the spark of what would become my three day obsession. Jo In Sung's charm is undeniable, which makes him perfect as a womanizing conman, but he also has this incredible sweetness that makes viewers *swoon* (I know I did with every smirk). Song Hye Kyo seems to be typecast as irrationally stubborn and kinda conceited (qualities that make me want to punch her character in "Descendants of the Sun"), but in this role it makes complete sense, and makes her character seem strong, and not just a pitiful victim with a disability - and YAY lady Chaebol! Yeoung is smart, and often a step ahead, which I liked most about her. She also did a pretty good job convincing me she was blind. The normal melodramatic KDrama romance back and forth was much less frustrating than it usually is for me, because their romantic tension was seriously epic! I won't say why, because it's a large part of the story, but when two people with abandonment issues, who can't admit how they feel, start falling for each other, it's gonna cause epic tension. Sure, if you replaced the music with a horror soundtrack, the show could suddenly seem like a frightening tale about a guy seriously stalking a blind girl, but we all know stalking means saranghae in KDramaland. It also helps that they are quite easy on the eyes, and that she's tiny enough to carry (ok, maybe that could be creepy too).

There are too many great performances by minor characters to name them all, but I will name a few. Kim Bum is always great, and adorbs, so the fact that he's so good is no surprise. Jung Eun Ji grew on me, and I liked her spunk. Bae Jong Ok, as the secretary, was super chilling, and surprisingly empathetic. I don't necessarily like how her actions are dealt with in this drama, but that has nothing to do with her performance, which was great. Seo Hyo Rim's annoying face is perfectly cast as super cray cray. Her character is so unhinged, that it was borderline comedic, but she truly pulled the character off. And then there is Kim Tae Woo as Moo Cheol, who was my favorite kind of villain. He's the kind of villain who is not only empathetic, but I couldn't help but root for him a little, because he was so good at being bad. He also pulled off being bad@ss very well, considering the fact that he looks like asian Spock. I only lowered the score slightly for those extra over the top moments, but in this genre, that's acceptable.

I truly think the writer and director did an amazing job putting all the pieces together. Sometimes it was confusing keeping track of certain rivalries, so I lowered my story rating a little, but it eventually all became pretty clear. The writer & director are the same team that made "Padam Padam", another tragic love story with Kim Bum as an epic sidekick, and disappointing kiss scenes (Though TWTWB isn't nearly as bad with the kiss scenes). Both stories are sweet, intriguing, frustrating, heartbreaking, and inspiring. With this drama in particular, I loved the imaginative way they chose to show memories, and her blindness, which kept me guessing as a viewer without it feeling gimmicky. I was also very confused by the ending, at first, which could be interpreted as open-ended, but I think it was very beautifully done, and not as unresolved as others may think. I took a deep satisfying sigh after it was all done.

The music was great, and fit the story well, but the lyrics were so literal I think I actually laughed at a few of them. I still liked it, I just wouldn't add it to my KDrama OST playlist.

Would I watch it again? Definitely. The suspense made the episodes seem to fly by, and kept me watching waaaaaaay past my bedtime. It may lose some of that thrill on a second viewing, but the performances are worth watching again, and I may catch something in the plot I missed the first time.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this as a must see for fans of romance and melodrama. There is also some action, and suspense, with enough humor thrown in to stop it from being too depressing. You may want to have plenty of tissues handy, just in case. You also have to sometimes give in to "KDrama logic", but who watches melodramas for their realism?

TWTWB made me glad to be an only child - siblings have so many rules lol! It also made me think about forgiveness, holding grudges, and what really matters. In my search to find a show that could remind me I have feelings... mission accomplished! My favorite drama list just got a little longer too.

I know I will probably never be able to hear a tiny bell again without thinking about this show.

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