Reviews

An Golden Retriever Boyfriend & Cold Boyfriend Trope?!

this is the first time ive ever watched a bl that started like this, its so entertaining, makes me laugh, makes me giggling and kicking my feet lolol. and you're telling me that THIS is the first episode??? i just know that this bl series will be GOOD AS HELLL and will be my FAVORITE BL OF ALL TIMEE. at first, u can see how CUTE & funny Duang's trio is!! they're so supportive to Duang, its so cutee. if i was Duang, i would be like him lol, cause DAMNN Qin is so cutee and hotttt. the way Duang is chasing after Qin is so cutee, reading tarots, listing the stuff Qin uses, and even stalks Qin's insta lol (he is so mee). and the way Qin is playing hard to get?!?!. actually his way of chasing Qin is so embarrassing lmao, but anywayyy they're sooo cutee. and the sound effect "duang!!""qin!!" is so cutee omgg aaaa. overall this series is definitely going to be good until the end, cant waitt for the next episode! saturday 22.30 at iqiyi!! :)))

on eps 6 now.. damn i cant get enough of them.. THEYRE SO FREAKING CUTEE. Qin is melting the ice on him, and became flirty with Duangg.. literally so cute. and James, Phupha, Pete & Fifa's cameo is perfect. i didnt expect them to appear omg. this eps is so peakk. cant wait for the other episodes!!

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LIGHTS CAMERA ACTION

Why is nobody ready to be chaotic? why are we so tame? whats going on? Why is everyone so concerned about the others feelings?

Only Friends: Dream On was the long-awaited sequel to Only Friends, and I was extremely excited for it. It was one of my most anticipated dramas of the year, but ultimately, I feel it wasn't as good as it could have been.

The Actors vibes and setting where all there for a messy season but somehow the writers downplayed everything.Don’t get me wrong,I enjoyed the show. The drama on and off the set, the lying, and the catfights were all very entertaining, but it still felt like something was missing. While this acts as a standalone sequel rather than a direct continuation, it is set in the same universe, so I can't help but compare it to the original. Personally, I think the first series was much better. In Dream On, I felt like everyone was trying too hard to be a "good person," which misses the point of the Only Friends brand. Nobody seemed to want to be a chaotic force of evil.

The show was far too tame until about Episode 7. It might sound crazy, but it wasn't nearly as toxic as it needed to be. Everyone kept trying to do the right thing, which honestly bored me. Even when they introduced Boston to the mix, I thought, "Yes! Finally, the drama has arrived!" only for everyone to reject his advances. Then, when someone finally gave in, Boston suddenly decided to grow a conscience?
This isn't supposed to be a heartfelt drama; it’s Only Friends. We are here to see a mess! When Dean and Arnold went into that forest, I nearly threw my phone in excitement because I expected cheating and characters with zero moral codes. Instead, the writers chose loyalty. In any other show, I’d applaud that, but here? We want horrible people making bad choices. Think back to Top and Boston in Season 1 they didn't just cross the line they obliterated it. That’s what kept us on the edge of our seats.

The Couples
Despite my gripes with the plot, the couples were solid. Here is how I ranked them:

1. Jack and Dean: They take the cake for me. They were the epitome of ex-lovers, second chances, and messy mistakes. There is something captivating about their dynamic.

2. Arnold and Tua: They were sweet and heartwarming. Falling in love with your best friend can be the best or worst mistake of your life, and they definitely made the best of it.

3. Rome and Raffy: The definition of hot and cold. While I didn’t love their relationship as much as the others, their physical chemistry was easily the best in the show.

For the side charcters Timmy was my absolute favorite. He showed up for everyone, took his job seriously, and never missed a beat. Even though he wasn't involved in the drama, he always ended up being the one to break up the catfights.

Then there was Pete he was adorable, but I couldn't take his "schemes" seriously because he looks like Theodore from Alvin and the Chimmunks. He definitely needs help, tho

The cameos also made my heart melt. Seeing Top and Mew, and Ray and Sand was amazing.

Final Thoughts
Overall, I liked the show. It has an active plot and a sensational storyline, but it felt too safe for the level of "crazy" I expected. I wanted hardcore backstabbing and deeper drama and more meaningful intimate scenes. The drama was good, but it didn't quite live up to the expectations set by the trailer. It’s still a good watch and a must try show, but I just wish it stayed a little messier.

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I was going to give it a 7 but there were too many things that bothered me, too many plot holes.

I enjoyed watching this drama more times than not. It was relaxing to look at, with the great cinematography and breathtaking sceneries. Music was great and very fitting. The actors were more or less very fitting in their roles and felt natural. The chemistry between the male cast was flawless.

I guess my main and only issue here is the writing. There are two types of supernatural dramas: the one that explores human emotions through the supernatural; and the ones that use it to tell your usual story. I think Goblin was somewhere in between.

I still appreciate some points of the writing. What I dislike is the plot as a whole. I liked the overall idea but not the execution. I like the idea of supernatural and powerful beings, like ghosts, goblins, grim reapers and gods, are living normally among humans without being noticed. I liked the story of the little boy we meet early in the drama to see his fate and effect on the Goblin (and vice versa). I loved the heartfelt story of Eun Tak's ghost friend, and enjoyed the company of the group of Ahjuma ghosts.

What I greatly disliked is the way the main story arc was handled. At first it felt overly dramatic, but later it felt so underwhelming that it removes and intensity felt before. When it ended the way it did, I felt there was no point to the whole story. Essentially were back to point zero.

I think the writer has some original ideas, but no guts to go deeper. As a result interesting topics were touched lightly, but never went beyond, hence felt shallow. I wish more time was spend in exploring the world, getting more concrete information on how demons are created and how to deal with them. Instead you just follow the characters' daily life of not doing much, and supernatural elements were just used as a convenience.

When it comes to romance, I didn't care much about the age difference due to the supernatural part of it, but I just didn't enjoy it, I didn't feel it. I don't know when it happened. Also Goblin was beyond childish. He was too moody and unbearable at times. While I was more invested into the secondary couple, I still felt the same, as in a missing episode of them going out and truly falling in love with each other was missing. I didn't like the way both couples went.

The non-romance relationships were great. The bromance, there was more than plenty. It was perfect. The focus and the growing relationship felt authentic and real. I also loved the relationship between Grim Reaper and Eun Tak. I did enjoy Deok Hwa's presence, but man was he so underused!

Other things that bothered me but not necessarily cause any deduction to the rating is over the top product placement. At one point it looked like subway was about to save the world, one sandwich at a time. And the wardrobe of poor little female lead, I just wonder how she manages to fit all those clothes in such little luggages and how she can afford them. I love how they presented Quebec at first, but I got mad that they didn't try to be accurate as to how the city looked at this time of the year. Worst of all is the episode length. It was needlessly long.

I don't regret watching this drama. I still had a great time watching. Although the last three episodes felt too draggy and less enjoyable, but it still had some good moments. Well all moments with GR for me are great lol. Enjoy! And don't hate me too much for the rating :P

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ENEMIES TO FAKE DATING TO LOVERS!!!

I LOVED THIS DRAMA SO SO SO SO MUCH!!!!

It literally felt like I was reading a contemporary romance book, down to the tropes and everything. The enemies to fake dating to lovers is gonna hit every single time!!! Everything about this drama was chef's kiss. It was the perfect mixture of comedy and romance... you can't help but fall in love with the characters. I also couldn't take them seriously because they were so outrageously hilarious. The banter / discourse between the opposing viewpoints of men and women was refreshing. I found myself thinking wow that's really how men view women and vice versa.

Mi Ran has my entire heart!!! We love a badass heroine who puts men in their place. I adored how Kang Ho balanced her out perfectly. It's like both of them finally met their match and sparks just flew – LITERALLY. The chemistry between them was off the chartsssssss.

I also loved the second lead couple, they were cute... when they got together I'm sure we all screamed FINALLY. His pretty woman moment was so adorable fr!!!

I would recommend this to friends because it was so light hearted and easy to watch / binge in one day. If you are in a drama slump this drama is for you. You literally feel the episodes fly by so quickly one minute your at episode 1 and the next you're at episode 10. Now that I'm finished I am thinking of watching it again.

I gave it an 8.5 out of 10 simply because I felt like I needed more, the episodes were super fast paced which was good at first especially if you have a short attention span like me, but...I felt like they wrapped up the drama so quickly between episodes 9 and 10 especially. The third act conflict just jumped out of nowhere fr after the leads were having such a great time in love and being together which was kind of sad and unnecessary imo.

Either way it's a drama I needed to just sit back, relax and have a nice laugh. I literally couldn't stop smiling because it was so freaking cute!!!

Warning: If you're single this drama is gonna make you feel even more so like I cannot emphasize it enough. The way the couple is with each other is just aajhskjs!!!

If you haven't binge watched this yet you need to hop on the train and do so immediately!!

LOVE TO HATE YOU IS THE ROM-COM DRAMA YOU NEED IN YOUR LIFE <3

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A MISSED OPPORTUNITY - A Storm of Potential, Washed away by Weak Execution

BIG BUDGET, TOP STARS, BUT HALF BAKED EXECUTION

Tempest drama is just another typical spy espionage thriller drama, boasting top stars, strong production crew and reputed director, screenwriter with big elements America, South Korea, North Korea, Mercenaries, International-Spies, Secret Agents everything looks solid right but it only on the story board and ultimately feels like a half-baked cake.

As a big fan of spy espionage thrillers; I had some good expectations for this drama, especially from one of my favourite director KIM HEE-WON but the execution fell down. While the story feels fresh compared to previous spy thrillers, the plot is poorly developed.

This really drama’s biggest drawback is instead of leaning into the genre’s elements – conspiracies, betrayals and psychological mind games it turns into chaebol-family conflicts in midway, slowing the pace and weaking the narrative drive.

Good at
• Initial episodes.
• Production design.
• Acting.

Major disappointments
• Underdeveloped plot.
• Midway focus heavily on family conflict rather than espionage.
• Forced romantic subplot.
• Lost momentum in maintaining real suspense and tension.

Technical aspects 6/10

Bad editing, the editing feels sloppy in some episodes. Scenes cut and jump too quickly, breaking the actual flow of the story narration and making it hard to connect to the scenario. Soundtrack and background score feels off but in early episodes it was on the track. Average Cinematography.

ACTING 7/10

One word- Underutilized talent of acting power houses JUN JI HYUN & KANG DONG WON, I loved acting and they portrayed roles perfectly but unfortunately the script doesn’t give their characters enough depth or opportunity to showcase their full range. Their characters becoming average in this context is a sign that writing failed to maximize their potential. Same goes to supporting actors they also given good performance according to roles.

Final thoughts—

Kim Hee Won is one of my favorite Korean directors; her making style is always best according to the story. She has delivered some acclaimed different genre works like—Vincenzo, Little Women, Crowned Clown, and Queen of Tears (the making style). Tempest feels like one of her weakest works. She missed bringing her mark - powerful characterizations in this drama.

Also, Screenwriter Jung Seo Kyung created a powerful story but failed to build the strong characters with enough depth. Also, instead of focusing on the story's key aspects evaluation, the narration shifts midway into a romantic track just when it should have taken sharper turns.

Some viewers may enjoy that romance subplot, but the as for storytelling aspect of this is a complete failure. Ok, let's take this as "the screenwriter approached the romance plot because they tried to create a dynamic relationship between the main leads and for a strong climax," but it backfired. Even the family conflicts sidelines the core story, and the plot twist also shows no impact.

Technically it is some appreciable - dark atmospheric tone, some well executed action scenes along with the alignment of the US-KR story setup and actors costumes. Even if the makers have a big budget and top stars and the best crew, sometimes the content is kingmaker. When makers fail to polish their strong potential into compelling content, the results inevitably fall flat. A story should be given what it really demands, forcing - in unnecessary elements only ruins it.

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Feels very realistic and like a movie

Everything was done at a very high professional level and it felt like a movie I just hate how they didn't end up together. As soon as Doona's manager kept coming back after abandoning Doona I just knew her relationship was over and it was gonna be a bad ending. I mean she was able to become a popular singer again but her romantic relationship was over they also gave you an opening ending as well which I hate. I really wanted Won Jun and Doona to have a happy ending but they don't.... you would think after a while of being apart when Doona and Won Jun meet up again they would get back together but they leave you on a cliffhanger after they reconnect so you don't know if they are friends, get back together or their meetup was just a once off after they said they missed one another. Which is a shame cuz the whole series is good but the ending makes me hate the drama entirely and don't recommend it if you are like me and want to see them be together.

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I have to say I actually really liked this one.. That makes it three dramas in a row that I have enjoyed.. LOZH, Reborn and this.. All in completely different genres..

Song Wei Long’s previous work was pretty disappointing for me.. Same with Liu Hao Cun.. Even though her last drama wasn’t bad, I just didn’t think she did a good job in it.. The ML mostly carried that one.. But this was different.. LHC felt more comfortable here.. She seems more at home in dramas with martial arts and action stuff I guess.. Even SWL, his character was solid here and he did a satisfying job..

Honestly, I didn’t really enjoy the first few episodes.. Some scenes were so silly or cringey that I just laughed at them.. But it got much much better as it went on.. Loved the Captain America inspired fight in the lift.. That was fun.. I also really liked the fight in ep 2 between the main leads.. I liked their chemistry there and the kind of expectation it brought with it.. And I was also very excited about the squad.. They had this weird bond and behavior.. It was bound to get crazy and obviously fun..

The world building was done well and the relics in The Seven Relics of Ill Omen are a fascinating plot device.. Though not without its flaws.. But I think that’s easy to ignore since the other aspects of the story make up for it.. The story kept getting more interesting with each relic, how their pasts unfolded and how their connection to the relics was slowly revealed..

" You have to believe the heavens love you..
The flowers they withhold..
They make up for it with stars.. "

I liked the relationship between Luo Ren and Mu Dai.. This wasn’t a romance story, but they had good chemistry and really clicked..

How can I not talk about their Hummer?? Just like the characters, the SUV went through a lot too.. They literally dragged it through a desert, dried lake, quicksand, mountains and it still survived..

Everyone in the Phoenix Squad had a painful past.. Except Chubby I guess.. The main leads probably had the most painful ones.. They lost a lot and went through even more.. I just wish they had taken Lou Ren's Flashback scenes a bit more seriously.. Because it had real potential.. They should have handled it with more care.. The gunfight scenes could have been much better but instead it turned out to be too bland.. It was just a senseless sequence with no real clarity.. If they had spent a bit more money and brought in professionals instead of shelf actors, those scenes could have been a lot more satisfying and enjoyable to watch..

The only disappointing part in this drama for me was Ao Rui Peng.. People might hate me for saying this, but he was terribly bland in this.. Honestly I am surprised he is hyped as a talented actor.. I just don’t see it.. Overall, this drama isn’t a masterpiece.. But for me it gets so much right that I just had a good time watching it..

P.S. The OST was too damn good..

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The same tale that's been repeated thousands and thousand times again and again, 'Once We Get Married' has nothing new to offer other than the same old trope of contract marriage almost been in dramaland more than a decade, it's same-typical-tropey and cliche. Maybe the difference would be we are getting a lot of kissing scenes... I mean it lol.

How on the earth I must believe that Gu Xi Xi is a fashion designer when even she doesn't have good dressing sense lol, it's not terrible but it's unbelievable. She's shown to be a smart, witty girl in the prior episodes, but if our FL doesn't become dumb at the right moment how can knight save her in shining armor lol... so yes she just loses her brain when it's needed.

Yi Si Chen is he any different. hell NO. He's cold and obnoxious.. and CEO (This is a must for contract marriages lol). 'Love changes everything' if it doesn't follow this, is it even a drama? as by the rule, due for sake of his love... he's not cold anymore, ah but it comes with possessiveness and jealousy. He does seem to be a workaholic in pilot episodes... a hardworking businessman but when he's in love, how can he be the same.... a looot of free time to wander around.

Mo Zi Xin our 'perfect' SML, seems unemployed coz he doesn't have anything to do other than following oops helping FL around. Did I forget to mention... he loved her for years, you know what? the main problem with these SMLs is timing. See he knew her way before, he liked her way before but ofc he can't get girl coz he's not icy-cold CEO... he can be ge-ge or senior. In course of time our goody perfect boy becomes a stalker... time to wear off SLS lol

Zhong Li Li... here comes I-wanna-slap-that-bitch, am I being too harsh? No! the purpose of her life is plotting against our lead couple, she seems to own some company but she legit has nothing else to do other than make plans to destroy FL, she definitely can be considered one of the most annoying SFLs even existed. Her personality qualify for being in makjang for sure.

The second couple is boring as hell, they don't have story-chemistry or anything that can stop me from pressing the FF button,

We have our perfectly-made-for-contract-marriage characters.... do we need a story? I mean first, our leads will fight with each other over the nonsense thing, then boom something comes up they need to marry... staying together makes them attracted to each other, then we have SML to create some jealousy and tension... SFL who have nothing else to do creates problems.. hence after overcoming everything happily ever after, Done!... Wow, I guess I should also try to write a plot someday... I don't think anyone needs something called creativity or uniqueness lol, just repeat some cliches and old tropes, word done.

Despite having a looot to rant about with dozens of things bothering me, the chemistry between Wang Yu Wen and Wang Zi Qi is on fire, first, they just look great together... second ah they are so adorable. So I did enjoy their time together.. the only thing that kept me invested till the end.

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Honestly, when I first heard that the Heirs was going to air, I was excited. Because I simply love the main actors and have liked many dramas of theirs.
However this was a huge disappointment. After watching the first two episodes I already knew I didn't like this, the plot felt really poor and Minho and Shinhye's characters annoyed me. I'm surprised I even managed to finish this.
I felt like the story never moved on, they had pretty much the same problems trough the whole drama. Eunsang kept crying over everything and I honestly wonder why in hell did she get two guys crushing over her. Also the ending was really poor. I felt like nothing changed in the story in the end. In my opinion this drama didn't need 20 episodes, it was too much.
There were also too many side stories that didn't have anything to do with the main story. They only left me confused and frustrated.

There were some good things in the drama, though. For example, Woobin's character was my favorite. I also liked Kim Tan's and Eunsang's mothers' friendship. Minhyuk and Krystal's characters' relationship was also adorable. I liked Krystal's character anyway.

They chose good actors for this drama, can't deny that, but the whole script was just a mess that even good actors couldn't save. Kim Tan was uninteresting and Eunsang was a cliche kdrama main actress.

I hated the OSTs. I think they played mostly 3 same OSTs, and seriously, none of them were good. 'Love is the moment' was overly used and if I ever hear it again I think I'll have to hit something.

I'll never ever watch this again, I'm just glad it's finally over.

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An average fantasy drama that does not live up to its potential, with outdated character dynamics

SPOILERS BELOW

This drama had a promising start and and interesting setup. A secret princess and a wolf boy who was turned into a killing machine go from lovers to enemies because of fate and the evil machinations of the higher powers. Their relationship is repeatedly said to be “cursed”. But will Zhai Xing and Lang Zai’s love triumph in the end?

…No, it won’t. Because this drama’s promising setup turns into a mess of recycled tropes and predictable, cliché storylines as the episodes progress. The characters also lose the freshness they had at the beginning and become walking tropes repeating the same lines and doing the same things over and over as the story drags on. By episode 30 I was ready to drop this drama because the eye rolls were getting too frequent, but I kept watching to stick with the few storylines that I liked and to see if the ending had any redeeming qualities. It didn’t. The ending was actually the final nail in the coffin.

THE GOOD:

The best aspect of this drama is the higher-than-average production quality, that can be seen in the sets and the costumes. The CGI isn’t top notch but is also not bad for a production of this kind. The battle sequences are also well made.

The story is also not all bad. There are some beautiful scenes, some good character moments, some emotional parts. The first ~15 episodes are good and don’t drag that much. Ji Chong’s arc is, for the most part, good. He is the most normal and relatable character and I enjoyed most of the moments the FL spent with him. He’s smart, capable and caring. The FL can actually grow and develop thanks to him. He was honestly the only breath of fresh air in the middle part of this drama.

THE BAD:

My biggest problem with this drama are the two main leads and their dynamic.

Nowadays, overbearing, jerky and brooding male leads feel like a thing of the past that new dramas are moving away from or are trying to put a new spin on. But The Wolf doesn’t do that with Bo Wang.
The ML is constantly humiliating, putting down, lying to the FL to “make her stronger” or because of some other excuse. I couldn’t keep count of the cringey moments that are played as “romantic” but it’s actually the ML being an a**hole to the FL, pinning her to the wall, throwing her on the ground, physically hurting her, forcing himself on her etc. This is such a bad and outdated drama trope. You might find it sexy once or twice, but beyond that it just makes you feel uncomfortable.

I would understand the need for those moments if Zhai Xing actually got stronger and was able to strike back at Bo Wang as a result, but no, he always overpowered and outsmarted her. Even when they’re enemies, in charge of opposing armies, they’re not equal. He still treats her like a child who needs to be coddled and she just lets him degrade her.
And in the end she always falls back into his arms and he gets forgiven for the horrible way he treated her because LOVE, I guess.

The FL is mainly a plot device, with very little agency, tossed from one place to the other, from one role to the other, in service to the story and to the ML’s manpain. She can’t even get her revenge through her own determination and hard work, because it’s the ML who does everything and decides that he has to sacrifice himself to give her her revenge. And in the end they didn’t even give her a good and happy ending, but a contrived and baffling one which was the biggest eye roll of all. She truly only existed in service to the ML’s manpain until the end.

Finally, I have mixed feelings regarding the acting. I think the actors did the best they could with the script they had, that leaves little room for character depth and constrains them into too many tropey and repetitive situations. I also heard there were reshoots that probably had an impact on the performances.
In the scenes where the actors can express themselves more or play different emotions than those usually assigned to them, their acting shines more.
Xiao Zhan is probably the one who gets to play his character with more freedom and range. Li Qin is not exceptional here, but she does her job well. Out of the main cast, my the biggest problem is with Darren Wang: if he’d been able to give his character more humanity, letting us see the Lang Zai under the surface a bit more, I think Bo Wang would have come off less of a wooden jerk. But again, it's probably not all his fault but the script’s and the direction’s.

CONCLUSION:

The only reason I would ever recommend this drama to anyone is if they're a big fan of any of the actors and are just satisfied with seeing their idol on screen. If you're looking for a fantasy drama that explores love, friendship and revenge through a good story and well-written characters, The Wolf is not it.

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The most adorable KIM BAEKDO

Before starting this drama, I thought it was going to be some sad and slow story, but I was here for our BELOVED Jang DongYoon and our cutie Kim BoRa....But oh boi I was wrong, this was NOT AT ALL a sad or boring story...I enjoyed every SINGLE second of this drama....I know, I know, for many people it might be a typical murder mystery BUT the warmth this drama gave us is unmatched...♡♡♡♡♡

Let's talk about the STAR of this show, KIM.BAEK.DO.....Literally the most ADORABLE human being on this planet...You don't agree? well go argue with a wall....My man (yeah I'm delusional), Jang DongYoon did a FANTASTIC job at portraying this role...That chubby JDY will forever be one of my favorite memories....JDY, literally changed his whole vibe for this character...KUDOS to him for being our VERSITILE KING...

Our FL, Oh DuShik (sorry I forgot her real name) was a strong and determined character and her acting was AMAZZZZING..She gave us a perfect combination of her tomboish and feminine side....I LOVED IT....

KIM BORA didn't have a lot of scenes but the ones she had, she portrayed them like a QUEENNNNNNN(Ilovehersm)....♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

Finally, the other supporting cast also did a FABULOUS job at making this drama super amazing...(especially BaekDo's friends and the fellow cop)

I did figure out who the real culprit was, not because the script was weak but because they did a little bit mistake in casting......


Overall, I absolutely loved this drama and would recommend it, if you're looking for a story that is sweet and simple....♡♡♡♡♡

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EP 1. A STRONG TAKEOFF FOR A DOG AND A PLANE,ONE EPISODE IN, AND I'M ALREADY HOOKED.

Just one episode in and I'm already on edge waiting for the next one.

TayNew's undeniable chemistry is simply unmatched. Their interactions feel effortless, making every scene enjoyable to watch. The comedy is natural, never forced, and the humor lands without feeling cringe.

And can we talk about the rescue gang? They ate. Every time they appeared on screen, they had me laughing. Their chemistry, timing, and chaotic energy made the episode even more enjoyable.

The pacing keeps you engaged from start to finish, the editing is sharp, and the dialogue flows smoothly. On top of that, the acting is spot on, bringing the characters to life in a way that feels genuine and entertaining.

If the first episode is anything to go by, A Dog and a Plane is shaping up to be something truly special.

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How to Lose a Plot in 40 Episodes — and Still Walk Away with Liu Yuning's Spine Intact

★★★☆☆ (5/10) — Four stars for Liu Yuning’s lumbar courage, one for the costume budget, zero for narrative mercy.

Some dramas are good. Some are bad. And some exist in that rare third category: the genre-bending fever dream you watch out of loyalty, finish out of morbid curiosity, and then question your entire concept of narrative coherence.

Let’s start with the central mystery: What genre is this?

Is it a romance? No, unless you define romance as one person emotionally bleeding out while the other flicks metaphysical riddles at them. Is it satire? Perhaps. Parody? Sometimes. A parody of a parody? Getting warmer. A slow-burn fantasy with a twist of self-awareness? Possibly, if the “twist” snapped the narrative spine somewhere around episode 12 and nobody told the scriptwriters.

This is not a slow-burn romance, it’s more of a cold shoulder in silk robes. And yet, like many viewers, I clicked play. Why? Three reasons:

The poster, which promised epic fantasy and emotional depth.
The premise, which teased brilliance through narrative self-reference.
Liu Yuning, whose performance, spine, and general ability to suffer gracefully on screen have become the stuff of legend.

He enters as the God of Death, cloaked in threat and charisma, a walking, brooding contradiction of pain and purpose. But as episodes pass, he degrades into what can only be described as the Patron Saint of Emotional Begging. Watching him go from divine menace to doormat philosopher is both impressive and heartbreaking.

And the FL? She knows she's in a novel world. She has foreknowledge of events. She understands the narrative setup. In short, she holds the cheat codes. And what does she do? She gaslights the ML, fumbles assassination plans, and drops half-baked existential quotes like fortune cookies from a bad philosophy class. This could’ve been the smart kind of self-aware fiction, where a character leverages story logic to reshape her fate. Instead, we got 31 episodes of emotional whirligig, poorly planned sabotage, and dialogue that could be summarised as: “Yes, I’m hurting you. But it’s because I read the spoilers.”

Her reactions? Inexplicable. Her growth? Non-existent. Her emotional intelligence? Hovering somewhere between “toddler in a tantrum” and “taxidermied Victorian doll.” And the dialogue? Forget poetic, every line sounds like she's haggling over bootleg scrolls at a metaphysical flea market. Again, this isn’t the actress’s fault. Clearly someone behind the camera instructed her to exceed parody and she committed with wild-eyed determination.

This is not what a heroine should do in a self-aware fiction drama. What should she do?

Observe the narrative structure and learn its rules.
Make allies- power in fiction equals survival.
Use foreknowledge to evolve strategically.
Stop weaponising emotional trauma as plot filler.
Build an actual arc- with intention, consequences, and vulnerability.

Instead, she walks in philosophical circles, drags the ML along with half-truths, and treats emotional consistency like an optional side quest.

Now, let’s talk about writing.

A good script, especially one dealing with stories that reflect on their own structure and romance, needs three things:

Character Consistency- Development, not regression.
Emotional Logic- If we can’t follow the “why,” we stop caring about the “what.”
Earned Moments- Big scenes must be built upon, not dropped in like surprise confetti from a broken ceiling.

This show ignores all three. Pacing oscillates like a caffeinated metronome. Plot arcs appear and vanish like side characters in a dream. Emotional payoffs? Denied. Instead, we get… the bite scene.

Yes. That cringe-crowned moment when the ML, bleeding from a sword wound and barely conscious, is violently shaken and then bitten by the FL in an act that’s equal parts rabid and romantic-adjacent. No tenderness. No catharsis. Just… jaw-dropping nonsense. The kind of scene that makes you question not the actors, but the writer’s grasp of human interaction, or gravity.

And the Crown Prince? Introduced as a man with the comedic energy of someone who might grow donkey ears and burst into song, he later pulls off a sword-wielding redemption arc. How? No one knows. He undergoes a 180° emotional transformation faster than a Netflix recap can say “previously on.” The Emperor, meanwhile, spends what feels like an eternity inventing increasingly sadistic punishments for his son, only to pivot without warning into "Father of the Year" mode. Don’t look for logic here. Our scriptwriter clearly believed they were penning the drama of the century, possibly while sipping hallucinogenic tea or something far stronger.

Even Gárgamel, with his cat Azrael, had clearer motivation than our eyebrow-wielding villain here. And at least Gárgamel knew what he wanted (Smurfs). This villain? He sneers. He raises an eyebrow. He plots vaguely. He exists in a state of permanent dramatic squint, delivering monologues that suggest he thinks he's in Macbeth while everyone else is stuck in Scooby-Doo. With every new plan, he seems one cackle away from asking where the smurfs went. It’s not menace, it’s theatrical confusion. His villainy becomes so exaggerated it borders on self-parody. It’s not that he twirls an actual mustache, it’s more like he’s auditioning for the role of a moustachioed villain straight out of the melodrama bargain bin.

Which brings us to the supporting cast, criminally underused and suspiciously better written. The Nightwalkers? An intriguing and promising concept, sadly underused and left mostly unexplored. The sister? More logical, more emotionally full of subtlety. Fu Gui? A minor character with more clarity and heart than the entire central arc.

Cinematography? Competent. Wardrobe? Sumptuous and repetitive, at least if you're the FL, condemned to recycle the same gown in several key episodes. The ML’s outfits, on the other hand, seem to have enjoyed both budget and narrative respect. Pacing? Like a rubber band stretched too thin over a 40-episode arc. Dialogue? Cringe-worthy at best, with failed attempts at humour that never quite land.

And the ending?

Equal parts predictable and nonsensical, a rare feat. I watched the final stretch at 2x speed, not because I was bored, but because I needed to emotionally outrun the plot.

So what is this drama?

Not a romance. A romance requires mutual emotional investment, vulnerability, and growth. This gave us martyrdom, manipulation, and confusion. Not a parody either, parody implies purpose. This felt more like someone spilled three genres into a blender, added eyeliner and trauma, and hoped for magic.

And yet. Liu Yuning stands tall. His character bleeds, breaks, and somehow survives, narratively, emotionally, and physically. He lends gravitas to a script that doesn’t deserve him, making the unwatchable nearly worthwhile. He does it all armed with nothing but cheekbones and that gaze, the kind that carries centuries of suffering and half the audience’s emotional investment. In the end, this isn’t a drama. It’s a hostage situation. One where the script holds its characters captive, and only LYN attempts a jailbreak, with no tools but his eyes and a well-fitted cloak.

Would I recommend it? Only with caveats.

If you’ve just emerged from the raw anguish of Moon Lovers, the sharp narrative elegance of Story of Kunning Palace, or the unexpected emotional payoff of The Prisoner of Beauty, my advice is simple: give this one a miss, or at least, wait. Let the memory of strong writing cleanse your palate. This drama might wear the costume of intelligence and genre experimentation, but beneath the surface, it sells you a sheep in wolf’s clothing, and expects applause.

Me? I’m off to rewatch Story of the Kunning Palace and TPOB. I need to remember what good writing looks like.

This is just my personal take, and I hope no one gets offended, everyone’s tastes are different, just like in my book club where we all have our own opinions. If you loved this drama, that’s awesome! I’m happy for you. All I ask is that you respect my view, too. After all, variety is what makes stories interesting… even if sometimes the flavour’s not quite to my taste.

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SIDE STORIES>>

"Flowers don't bloom just for one butterfly" - Bit Na

Waste of time, probably wasted 8 hours why NOT 11 hours you must think? Right? Because only the side stories are good but sadly they have less screen time :/ This drama is meaningless and will just make you frustrated.

The drama started off quite well, the realistic portrayal of modern college relationships was really relatable. The MAIN story is slow paced from the very start but at some point it became repetitive which made it boring. I have to admit that the plot was exaggerated, the drama should have been not more than 6-7 episodes honestly. But the way it continues is AWFUL and the word "realistic" is thrown out if the window and was replaced by fairy tale ending .

MAIN CHARACTERS

Nabi, honestly at first I thought Nabi AIN'T DUMB but she is. She is the dumbest character I have seen in my whole drama life. Her actions are really dumb, they can make you frustrated. I liked the way the writer portrayed Nabi's insecurities. Han So Hee really did a great job portraying the character as well.

Jae On, the walking red flag. If you're reading this please don't normalize Jae On's actions just because you're the actor's fan. Jae On's character is pretty much a playboy for whom love isn't a thing, it's just attraction. I never approved of his character. For him Nabi was also one of his butterflies. Song Kang did pretty well at first I couldn't get those playboy vibes from him but later he was a bit better.

Do Hyeok, the potato guy, he is the "cliche" good boy type character, one of those who still believe in true love. Sorry to say tho he was really nice but he was kinda pushy as well.

The main story is SO MEANINGLESS, what was the point of their story? If their was no moral of the story? this drama was a fairy tale, it definitely was. This drama is ridiculous just because the two leads had chemistry doesn't mean there toxic character had to end up together. It's not about which team you are team potato or red flag. I was legit team FL end up with nobody. Her character development where is it? FL really need self love classes.

SIDE STORIES

The only reason I didn't drop this, I won't go in detail because some of the ships were pretty unexpected. They're stories were short yet really beautiful. I'm really glad that the writer was brave enough to portray them!

MUSIC

This drama has beautiful OST lineup I swear, even if you don't watch the drama you can listen to the OST, one of my fav is "Love me like that" by Sam Kim.

OVERALL

I was glad that Korean dramas are trying something NEW than the cliche college romance drama BUT sorry this drama crashed real bad. Should you watch Nevertheless? No. Personally I won't recommend it. The outcome of drama was really disappointing. I would never recommend one to watch it.

Now this drama is definitely NOT for everyone. If you can't differentiate between what's toxic and what's not, please don't watch this.

IF YOU FOUND MY REVIEW HELPFUL PLEASE LEMME KNOW ^^
END :D

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This series is utter trash. I literally feel like hanging myself because I ran my ass home every day after college tryna jump onto Ccasian to watch 'Coffee & Vanilla' ((believing that the story and the god awful acting would improve)).. I mean, just from the introductional episode, I knew this series was shit but to my surprise.. it's shittier than I could ever imagine .. but that didn't stop me, I carried on (Mistake!!). ༎ຶ‿༎ຶ
There was literally no storyline!!!! WHAT THE HELL DID I WASTE MY PRECIOUS TIME ON !?!!!
God knows. I absolutely would not recommend this to a living soul unless they're livin' the bum life.
Anyways, this is my list of complaints:
- ML is supposedly 30 years old but looks like a young teen fresh outta his 15th birthday .
- FL is supposed to be Hella pretty but it appears that they ran out of pretty actors .
- FLs and MLs acting is shit. it's like they're talking to trees but I'm sure we'd be a lot better at expressing ourselves to a branch. - They're stiff and appear inexperienced . . . Especially for this genre but to be honest, the narrative performed was so bad you can't analyse a single genre or comprehend jack .
- FL and ML should have had a better closet. The clothes they wore were truly dull and limited... That orange dress the FL wore is literally the only thing nice but the lighting in the episode is deceptive so I can't really rely on that comment. And what's with the fashion sense, was this series really released in 2019? It's questionable .
- Oh, the lighting was soo poorly controlled that the front cover of the series looks different to the actors in the series itself. It appeared as though the filmmakers wanted to alter the realism and throw on a filter to hide any blemishes or faulty cells.
- FL acting was as I said previously, trash. I didn't read the manga but I could tell there was gaps of story missing... Like how the characters are supposed to be portrayed and the so called 'dark past' the ML has, which is to be exposed ( they left this crucial part out so in the end you're left sighing and shouting "HUH?" )
- During intimate scenes the FL was SO DAM STIFF! This was the most vexing part becuz her MUDAFAQIN head was always drooling on the floor! Omg! Omg! Just recalling the memory is boiling my blood. And this dumbass moves like a fish! The girls floppin around just from undoing a couple of her man's buttons on his shirt!! Like WTF!?
I can totally relate if he had a sexy ass torso but this dude is skin and bones!! What's there to exaggerate @bout?!
Not to mention the eye contact! It's the most frustrating thing ever because the best thing about romantic genres is when emotions are linked with eye contact and the build up of any romance, IS EYE CONTACT! WHY THE HELL IS THIS MISSING?!?! I SWEAR DOWN, ITS THAT FEMALE LEAD!
Wait wait wait, the kissing scenes were ಠ益ಠ because everything about the FL reminded me of a FISH! She resembled a fish so mfing much ತ_ತ. If you type 'Risa and Hiroto' on YouTube, you'll be able to empathize with me 1000%
So to summarise, it's that dam FL ! For God's sake, if you don't believe me, just watch it yourself. You will die on repeat.

Yours truly,

Suicide.

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