Reviews

If you come for the romance, just be patient

The reason why I love this drama is because at the beginning, I didn't come for the romance but end up enjoying it altogether. XD
I can see they put so much effort to create every scenes, although I can't justify the technical accuracy because I am not a person from airforce. Yeah.. there are still some scenes that make me question "do people really do it like that in the aircraft?"

After 15 episodes, it actually starts to change the direction into romance and drama.
But I admire the performance of natural reaction and acting from the cast. We don't see much slow mo or those type of kissing by accidents that's usually happening in drama XD. I love how they make the loveline slow burned. Those two make it quite convincing although they dont do much skinship. They just don't choose the easiest way possible to show it and that's what make us always 'wanting more'.

I like the way the main characters keep trying to solve their problems. It's not just done by miracle. Although she was a mess at the beginning and might not always has the perfect solution, CX doesnt give up easily but at the same time, let thing go quickly. I love the fact that the story doesnt push CX much to be the cure for Nan Ting's trauma, like most of other drama would do to create an unspoken fate between them. Nan Ting has figured it out and worked on the problem by himself and he likes her not because she is a replacement. They just unconditionally care for each other.
Not only the main leads, the supporting characters also show quite few development. What I like the most is everyone is always trying. It's not always about coincidence or luck or fate like any other drama would usually do. For example, the character of Yuheng who has a crush on Gu Nan Ting (male lead). This type of second lead really could make me worry that she could snatch him but at the same time admire her effort of not-giving-up-on-him. And that actually quite makes senses because the man is frrrreaking single and she knows him for a long time and also befriend with his family! Of course she would fight until the end.

I also appreciate the amount of focus on the negative attribute in every character. Well, we might see these many male leads that are stoic, handsome, cold and charismatic, but most of the time, it feels like they just exist in drama because the way they react. This time, I don't have that feeling. Gu Nan Ting's character makes me think that someone like him might exist in real life and yeah...he can be boring sometimes? But that's just him being himself.
Overall,you can see how much I end up enjoyin the slow romance part . Lol.
I love this show!

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The Legend of Shen Li - a sugar hit that doesn't quite fill you up

In a Nutshell:
Zhao Li Ying (ZLY) plays the titular character Shen Li, a formidable and fearless General of the Immortal realm army. Her military prowess earned her the title of Lord Bi Cang and she is revered by everyone in the immortal realm. But being still female, she is forced into a political marriage with a playboy from the Heavenly realm. She gets injured while trying to escape and falls to the mortal world as a phoenix, her spirit animal form. She ends up in a marketplace for hungry peasants and is mistakenly sold as a chicken. She is bought by a seemingly carefree and aloof man, Xing Yun, played by Li Geng Xin (LGX), who surprisingly doesn’t turn her into a tasty meal, but instead nurses her back to health. As the most powerful warrior in the immortal realm, she finds her predicament and the doting care by this mere mortal humiliating and embarrassing. However, as Shen Li starts to appreciate his kindness and the simple pleasures of earthly life, she begins to develop feelings for her mortal saviour.

The Highlights:
• I will save you time: Episodes 22 – 29 are the best, followed by episode 1 – 3. Watch the other episodes if you have nothing else productive to do.
• The best executed episodes (see above) involve the mortal realm where Shen Li and Xing Zhi have the freedom to be themselves and just enjoy each other’s company. The cinematography, lighting, costumes, use of natural landscapes, and poignant soundtrack all make their mundane tasks so beautiful and give purpose to the simple surroundings. ZLY and LGX have less dialogue but this is where their acting skills shine, as they are able to sum up Shen Li and Xing Zhi’s raw and organic relationship with each other through simple interactions and subtle facial expressions.
• Beautiful costumes and loved all the outfits Shen Li wears!
• Loved the soundtrack and songs which perfectly captured the grandeur, passion and intensity of Shen Li as the warrior phoenix (the phoenix is the King of all birds in Chinese culture). The “Battle hymn of Bi Cang” will get you fired up to do anything!
• When used judiciously, the special effects/CGI were actually pretty good. Will definitely try and rewatch some of the episodes (especially ep 23 was epic!!) on a big good quality TV screen.
• The script stays faithful to its original novel “Accompanying the Phoenix".

The Lowlights:
• 39 episodes is too long for a drama that is based on a simple and predictable Xianxia story. The result is inconsistent quality where some episodes were well done (see above), some were mediocre, and others just so boring/nonsensical that I tuned out completely.
• We all know that ZLY and LGX can act! But unfortunately, the blinding bright colour palates and ridiculous smoothing filters meant ZLY was stuck in a dead-pan expression and LGX with a permanent look of constipation for most of the immortal / heavenly realm scenes, with only a few sprinkles of brilliance when the script demanded it.
• Some episodes were purely a bombardment of CGI and special effects with not much going on in the plot or character development to warrant such sensory overload. Special effects are meant to support and create the right atmosphere for the story, not serve as a tool to mask the lack of good writing or interesting characters.
• Some of the kissing scenes were really awkward and cringey to watch. I am not sure if it was the ill-placed camera angles or terrible lighting, but one particular "hot and daring" scene (pretty sure you know which one ...) looked like an amateur video cobbled together by a horny teenager in their bedroom.
• I felt like I needed a PhD in Chinese Mythology to understand how all the 3 realms interacted and the concept of rebirth/reincarnation and all the associated mythical animals and spirits. Reading the novel helps a bit. But the lack of world building means some pre-requisite knowledge of the Xianxia genre would help to understand some plotlines. Of course, one can always choose to turn brain off and just watch the show.
• Too much use of internal monologuing. Urgh … might as well read the novel instead!

The verdict:
This drama is like eating nothing but sweets all day - you get a nice big sugar hit, but at the end of the day still feel dissatisfied and rather empty inside. 6.5/10 – watchable but nothing groundbreaking.

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dropped but not for the bad AI

Everyone was incredibly hyped for this drama —especially because of Zhang Linghe's performance in Pursuit of Jade —and I really wanted to love it too. Just to make things clear: this review isn't coming from a fandom perspective. I'm not here to defend or attack any actor. In fact, I think both leads are doing the best they can with the material they were given.

A lot of the discussion has been about the AI-generated opening. Yes, I think it's a poor creative choice, but honestly? It's the least of this drama's problems. You can skip an opening. You can't skip weak storytelling.

The biggest issue is that everything feels painfully rushed. The dialogue is almost entirely exposition, constantly telling us how epic and emotional this story is instead of letting us experience it. Over and over information is given through dialogue. "He is the abandoned son." "She is X." "They do Y!" and it is so unatural it hurts. Relationships are established through a few lines and scattered scenes, but they're never given room to breathe, so none of the emotional beats actually land.

The editing and directing make things even worse. I've seen people compare it to a vertical drama you'd find on YouTube, and... I hate to say it, but they're not wrong. Which is frustrating because the production design is genuinely beautiful. The sets and costumes are gorgeous, and you have two very capable leads who have already proven themselves in other projects. Yet they barely get the chance to act before the camera cuts away again in blurry ways. Instead, we're constantly getting overly dramatic close-ups with generic background music, as if every single scene was designed to become a TikTok edit rather than exist as a complete, well-paced moment.

I only made it through episode 3, and by that point I was still trying to understand why the male lead is supposedly so deeply in love with the female lead. I know the script keeps telling me he is, but I don't feel it, and the chemistry is nule. The frantic pacing, the constant cuts, the awkward lighting, and the lack of properly developed scenes never give the story a chance to grow for me. For something that looks expensive on paper, it rarely feels like a high-budget production.

This isn't a hate review. It has nothing to do with the AI controversy, and it certainly has nothing to do with fandom wars. I'm criticizing what I actually watched. I wish people would stop dismissing every negative review as "haters being haters." Sometimes a drama simply doesn't work, and people have perfectly valid reasons for saying so. Unfortunately, for me, this is one of those cases.

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Ever Night has its flaws, but it ended up being one of my favorites anyway. The first thing that stands out about this drama is its beautiful cinematography and great action scenes; the fight choreography is exceptional, and the CGI is pretty solid overall. The main characters are interesting and likable, but flawed enough to be realistic. Ning Que, the protagonist, is more antihero than hero, shaped by his childhood trauma and his struggle to survive while also supporting his "maid," Sang Sang. He comes across as having a chip on his shoulder (with pretty good reason) and he is guarded around most of the other characters - Sang Sang being one of the few notable exceptions. She is such a gentle, cheerful young woman that it would be easy to forget what a difficult life she's led if not for her extreme practicality and her anxieties surrounding finances. Occasionally Sang Sang's emotions get the best of her, but no other character is as supportive or industrious as she is.

The relationship between Ning Que and Sang Sang is complex due to their unusual circumstances and there are multiple layers to their dynamic. She initially appears to be a maid who happens to be very fond of the person she serves, but it's quickly evident that their power dynamic is not quite that cut-and-dried. When he was a young child, he found her as a baby in a pile of corpses and took her in. They are a few years apart in age, and although he was obviously her caretaker in her younger years, it wasn't too long before she was carrying her own weight. He has made a living by killing bandits, while she has taken care of domestic chores and finances. There are subtle elements of caretaker-dependent and older brother-younger sister to their interactions at times, but overall they seem best described as platonic life partners for the first thirty or so episodes (with occasional, subtle hints of romantic feelings/attraction).

Later in the series, when Ning Que shows up with a love interest after a period of being away from home, they're forced to confront their true feelings and figure out what they really want. It's pretty obvious just by the fact that Sang Sang is the second lead which way Ning Que will lean (or even by the synopsis on this page), so I don't think this could be considered a spoiler. I watched this drama on Viki with comments on, so I know how divisive their relationship is. It is an upsetting development for some viewers who only see one aspect of Ning Que and Sang Sang's dynamic. Some viewers consider Ning Que to be too much of a father figure to Sang Sang to accept the turn their relationship takes, claiming (or implying) that it is incest. I personally don't agree with this viewpoint – but if you think the relationship could be squicky for you based on how I described it, and you believe that would interfere too much with your enjoyment of the series as a whole, you may want to give this one a pass. Just a heads up.

I rated this drama highly in large part because I really enjoyed most of the characters and the main relationship (I can forgive a lot if I become attached to the characters), however I did feel that there were some issues with the plot. The pacing is a bit uneven, and the exposition scenes are quite dull at times. Although there were a couple of exceptions, I felt that the antagonists were much too one-dimensional. The character arc for one of the main antagonists – Long Qing – particularly felt like a waste of time. Most of his scenes could have been left out and the result would have been the same. That was especially irritating given that his scenes were so tedious to watch. The last ten episodes are sluggish and feel like they could have been cut in half (at least). In fact, the same could be said for the series as a whole - but that has been true with almost any Chinese drama I've seen.

Another thing that I found off-putting is that, sometimes, some of the characters would know what's going on in a distant location without any apparent reason - as if they were watching it on television. When it was Fu Zi - who is generally considered the greatest cultivator in the world - I decided to just go with it. It didn't make sense, but whatever. When it was Fu Zi's disciples, I also just accepted it; they learned it from him, I guessed. But when it was still used with characters who had no background in cultivation, it became kind of aggravating. No matter what, it feels like lazy writing, but there really should be some brief explanation given for something like that. Similarly, there were many times when characters received news quicker than really seemed believable. Things like this were just minor annoyances, but they did pull me out of the viewing experience.

I've read some criticisms of Chen Feiyu (Arthur Chen)'s acting, but I didn't think he was a bad Ning Que overall. He was actually pretty expressive, though unevenly so; he was effective at conveying affection/infatuation and anger/aggression, but fell short in scenes that required him to express emotional anguish and physical pain. One thing that I found a bit annoying is that he frequently raises/moves his eyebrows in a way that kind of looks like they're spasming. Sometimes the eyebrow raise is effective, but more often it's not. That aside, I became attached to his character in spite of his considerable shortcomings, and some of that was due to Feiyu's charm and charisma. (Note: He won't be returning to the role in the second season due to scheduling conflicts; he will be replaced by Dylan Wang.)

I felt that Song Yiren (Ireine Song)'s acting was stronger; she was lively, sweet, and adorable as Sang Sang. Whatever the scene called for, she was almost always able to hit the right emotional notes. When I watched the trailer, the only thing I had reservations about was her character, so it's kind of ironic that she ended up being my favorite. I looked forward to her scenes most, and I'm very glad Song Yiren will be returning for a second season. There were many great supporting characters, and the other actors were quite good overall. I enjoyed the fact that several older characters had prominent roles in the story, and they also ended up being among the most interesting characters to watch (most notably Chin Shih Chieh as Yan Se and Ni Dahong as Wei Guangming).

So, tl;dr:

Pros – memorable characters, cute relationship, great action scenes, beautiful cinematography, lovely OST, mostly good CGI

Cons – one-dimensional antagonists, potentially squicky relationship (YMMV)

If you're into action/adventure and fantasy dramas, and you don't think that the main relationship would negatively impact your ability to enjoy the series, then definitely give this one a shot.

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If you're looking for a drama that leaves you begging for more and has amazing plot twists, watch this.

From the first minute of this drama, I was hooked. Phenomenal cinematography alongside amazing actors -- I cannot recommend this drama enough.

STORY;
When it comes to crime and political dramas, I have seriously high expectations, but this drama met them instantly. Hell, it even surpassed them,
It is very different from the usual cliche dramas and does not sugar coat anything. If you want a plot line that will question your morals and have you seriously perplexed with what to think and lookout for (no pun intended); watch this.
Because it is crime and politics, you would think there would be cliche twists and over-used action *cough* The K2 *cough* BUT it is all seamless, well shot and written, with a highly intense story line with really well developed characters who have depth.

I also do not like dramas that shove the romance between the leads down our throats, basically, almost all kdramas, and hence, do not like general romance between characters. BUT because of the characters' well written backgrounds and development, I AM BEGGING FOR SOME ROMANCE TO OCCUR BETWEEN THE LEADS.

But due to the mind blowing twists, you have to inevitably accept the tension and lack of romance between the leads (but still hope for some romance)

This drama has changed my views and thus heightened my expectations for kdramas even more.

CAST;
I honestly was hesitant to watch this when I saw that Key from SHINee was in this, but oh man, he is good.
I am damn impressed with Kim Young Kwang, not to mention his height and demeanor is attractive as fuck. I always look for main leads that are psychologically complex and use their mind to play tricks, and Kim Young Kwang's character is emotionally complex, well executed and hot as fuck. He certainly plays the character well, as well as the character himself (Jang Do Han) is written for him perfectly. He has oozing charisma and makes you think why the hell is he being slept on.

I have a strong dislike for weak female leads which is no wonder that I do not like 90% of kdrama female leads, but the one in this drama is strong willed, determinate, independent and can sure as hell beat up someone. Lee Si Young is the perfect actress for this role.

MUSIC;
The first two are R&B and have a very unique vibe to them, very different from the typical ballads in other dramas that are overplayed at the wrong scenes.

OVERALL;
Watch this drama. Watch it.
I guarantee you that you will be hooked.
From complex characters, intricate questions regarding morale, intense and not over-used action to amazing acting and suitable OSTs and background music; this drama is the whole package.

UPDATE; after completing this drama, my heart's been broken.

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Another electrifying on-screen chemistry is heating up.

This drama has quickly grown in popularity since its release, surprisingly a nodding pair to validate that even an Ahjumma and an Ahjussi can sweep viewers off their feet in their heartwarming workplace love story.  At this rate, I respect the person behind the casting for being able to find suitable actors that would capture all the yearning and longing in an unconventional romance genre like this.

The story breaks the traditional norms in the office romance where a male boss and female secretary are forming a love adventure.  This time it’s an intriguing story about a highly competent male secretary and an alpha female boss in the world of headhunting.  They had an ill first meeting experience of each other when entangled in a competition to retain and recruit the same candidate and they both lose at the end.  The aftermath of the situation backfired on the position of Lee Jun-hyuk, getting him unfairly dismissed by his company.  Through a common friend, he is then recommended to be the Assistant of Han Ji-min who is known for being difficult to work with as someone with strong leadership but is faulty and uncoordinated with things around her.  She’s been giving him unwelcoming attitudes but LJH is slowly warming her up. 

I am a longtime fan of HJM’s career and can’t complain about her performances as she was acknowledged a few times in the award-giving bodies.  Meanwhile, LJH wasn’t spared from the eyes as well of the performing arts experts with his collection of awards and could have a potential follow-up recognition through this drama. This is his first ever starring ML role in a romantic kind and it is such a delight to see it happening and seeing him on screen with outpouring charms.  He is the perfect gentleman here and is well-molded in his characterization and incredible styling.  I cannot stop thinking about how these two will continue to navigate each other’s lives and make us all feel that irregular love heartbeat with them.

I could tell this drama will be on the list of iconic romantic dramas that have won the hearts of many.  While this genre easily resonates with global audiences, television productions are always being challenged to create a unique story that would set it apart from other romances like this one. It has relatable conflicts, a satisfying arc development of characters giving us a perfect romantic tension, and the praise-worthy visual executions that deepens our connection to the pair's emotional play of love. So jump on the bandwagon and have a good time watching.

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This was very complex and slow-building melodrama. The families were really culturally interesting and complex. For an American who is not Asian, it was a little astonishing but believable because of the acting. Adult children need to come to terms with their parents and their expectation if they are going to become authentic adults. I saw this drama as a reflection of how that happens in any society. I know this is a love story but it is also more than that. It was very different, particularly in how the female grew in the story. Not your usual Kdrama rom-com stuff. I think this was an important drama for women to watch.

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That milk was spoilt in episode 1

I wish I didn't remember details from episode one of this series, but more than anything, I'm glad I don't recall at least some of it. Oh goodness this was..

The plot was non - existant. There was no plot, it's as simple as that.

I still can't figure why the two leads liked each other, I've watched ten episodes and I still don't know why they fell for each other. Their relationship is the basis for the entire plot and from my indication about the plot being non - existant you can put two and two together.
Individually, two of the worst characters I've ever seen on screen. They were right in naming one of the characters 'plain milk', because that's the amount of personality the two leads had. Like plain milk. I could never figure out why they were considered to be attractive partners when both of them had the emotional range and personality of a piece of cardboard.
But apparently that was enough to get the leads to fall for each and two other characters to fall for each of the leads. Boo to me I guess.

The second couple was better. Actually they were amazing. Until they weren't. For maybe seven episodes, they were the only characters who kept me going but you can't ruin your track record can you? The writing absolutely ruined their relationship as well by adding silly misunderstandings and arguments that went nowhere by the finale, and boo to me again.

The third couple were like a magician's act, they would appear in a few episodes and disappear for another few and then show up for one scene in the finale just because. Call it inconsistency or my general lack of interest after one point, but I genuinely forgot those two were a couple at one point. Boo × 3.

There were a bunch of side characters who's sole purpose was to create drama, a bunch of others who created drama but were also integral (not really) to the story and it was just a collosal mess that I started on a whim because I needed something to rant watch. Acting was.. fine I guess, but I suppose there's no necessity to act your heart out when your character is written to have only one expression or reaction.

This is a great rant watch by the way, zero plot, zero chemistry between the leads and zero patience for anyone who watches it by the end of episode 10. Have fuuuuun!!

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The main reason why I started watching this was because everyone on MDL is always recommending it, as well as it being one of the top movies ranked on MDL. I was going on a trip so I stockpiled a few of the top movies and throughout my trip I watched them. I watched The Man From Nowhere or Ahjussi on the plane yesterday and this is what I thought of it...


Story 9/10 : The general story is actually not that original. I've seen many American movies like it (for example Denzel Washingtons' Man On Fire). However, that doesn't lower the entertainment value of this film. This films story has you on the edge of your seat for the ENTIRE film. The scriptwriter(s) deserve much praise.

Acting 10/10 : They were all perfect. Everyone was perfect. I would not have changed any ANYBODY.

Music 7/10: The music was good, but it wasn't anything that I will remember. It served its purpose perfectly, and enhanced the effects of the movie. It's not an OST I will look up and listen to again later.

Rewatch Value 6/10 : This is probably the highest rewatch value i've given to any movie. I'm not someone who rewatches movies or dramas. This movie is action packed, so it should allow for a good rewatch. However, the amount of entertainment you get from this movie does hinge on its twist and turns so that might detract from its rewatch value.

Overall 10/10 : This is a great movie that I'd recommend to people OVER 18. It does have graphic violence and slight nudity. Overall, this is one of the best Asian movies that i've ever seen.

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Everything happened so quickly

The story was okay, not that great but it is watchable. The acting was not so good though, it could have been better but it is okay because in my opinin it didn't affect the story much.
They production again could have been done better.
The episodes were short, everything happened so quickly. I wish BLs in korea have longer episodes. But the ending was beautiful and satisfying for me.
Now for their chemistry, I didn't think there would be much chemistry since the episodes were so short, but they did satisfy me towards the end. Tbh, I continued watching the series just to see their chemistry.
It's a good series but don't expect much.

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Fresh and Bold New Concept - Room For Improvement

My first impression of this new Korean series was beyond expectations. "Once again" is one of the first LGBTQIA+ series from south Korea that can keep a little bit up with the quality of higher-budget Korean dramas or at least it seems like it’s getting closer to the potential behind their skills. I mean, I wasn´t so sure in the first few minutes but the way this series is cut, the colouring of each scene, the screenwriting, the acting and the visuals - it kinda surprised me.

Story >> 8.5 >> 8.0
This kind of basement for any kind of relationship is stirring. In my eyes, this plot had so much potential to blow up and leave not only me with goosebumps. I also liked that the pathing of each episode and the way they portray the story and also how both main characters stay loyal to their personality. Just felt like it missed a bit of their actual romance but with that storyline It’s obviously hard to display their love to the fullest.

Acting/Cast >> 8.5 >> 8.0 >> 7.5
Moon Ji Young (Shin Jae Woo) caught me off-guard in the first episode, I didn´t expect his performance to be so intense so early on but in the end his performance became a little to monotonous. I have a similar impression of Lee Hyun Jun, (Kang Ji Hoon) and the best friend, I think they all presented a solid performance!

Music >> 7.5 >> 8.0
The music was fitting the series mood. Actually, I even find it quite soothing.

"Once Again" is one of the Korean LGBTQIA+ series I´d recommend watching when wanting to see this industry evolve step by step and therefore it doesn’t have to be perfect.

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Sweet Crush. Fun First Romance

Theres a lot of this genre (college romance) out there but this is among the better ones in terms of acting, production and overall storyline.

Qin Shen, the cold talented and super tall male lead and Yuan Qian, the cute, friendly petite female lead are classmates in the sculpture major. Somehow after a mini accident, she learns she misunderstood him and both begins to see the better side in each other. It didnt take long for the ice to thaw with Qin Shen.. given that he used to say girls and dating are meaningless and waste of time. But when he looks at YQ he cant help smiling and the warmth will enter his eyes.

Best part. Qin Shen took notice of YQ very early on and her quirks and attitude amuses him. More than half of the drama are the two dancing around each other. Theres a saying, one stroke shy (strokes to write a chinese characther) and thats how you can describe their relationship. They seek each other out, hang out, talk, hints and flirts but never really comfesses. The acting and directing makes this enjoyable even amusing.

SML does not really get annoying, mostly a puppy still hinging on their childhood memories. While SFL is no fun to watch, i just wish she stops chasing given that ML cannot be more obvious of his coldness, nonchalance and blatantly ignoring her most times. Really, QS reserves his gentlemanly nature, sweet , caring and even considerate gestures only for FL. When needed he helps her out, supports her and respects her decision. Hes also the type that doesnt shy away from doing couple-things and enjoys being dote on by FL. With the exception of his penchance to tease her and sometimes twist and negates his own kind intentions, i find its a mix of his own enjoyment (you will find hes actually a lil black-bellied and to save face).

Their roommates are a hoot to watch. ML has 2 funny bros who are also classmates. Their scenes and dialogues are so funny. FL has 3 wonderful friendships with her roommates too. And both sets of roommates already clue in on the push-pull relationship of the leads.. they are just too obvious haha.

Acting wise is good. If done wrongly could have been cringey or stiff. But both Ireine Song and Aaron Deng have a good camaraderie so there a natural synergy. You can watch them interact all day and be entertained.

Ps one of my fav moment is when QS retrieved the water bottle he threw to the trashbin after hearing from his bro that YQ was the one who bought it. He didnt care evyone's looking or the trashbin. It spoke volumes how he feels about her.

Verdict Fun fun and easy watch. No real angst. Flirty interactions and sweet first romance that blossom between two people who thought they would remain single until they meet the right person.

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