Reviews

It took me a long time to review this one because I wasn't ready for it to be over. Although I've watched so many Gong Hyo Jin romcoms, and she tops my female romantic lead list, a friend had to recommend this one to me before I decided to watch. At first, I had no clue what was happening and was preparing myself to be disappointed. I also wasn't sure about matching her with Jo Jung Suk, who I also loved in a few dramas (Oh My Ghost, King2Hearts)... that just goes to show how you never know how hooked you will get based on the first episode alone. Believe me, I was so hooked on this show!

Jo Jung Suk and Gong Hyo Jin are perfectly matched in this! She has basically paired with most of my favorite male leads at this point, and in some of my favorite dramas, but this match is definitely one of her best. Na Ri is quirky and likable, and frustrating, and definitely a memorable character. Parts of her personality would have easily made me hate her if she were played by a lesser actress, but she is so good that it works. Jo Jung Suk as Lee Hwa Shin however, is the key to what makes this couple so good. He's played lovably arrogant before, and extremely well, but he made me fall for him so much in this role, even though he is an absolute jerk. I don't want to give any of the story away, but it's certainly not your average love story set up. It also could have easily gone a much cheesier melodramatic route, which this story thankfully avoided. The plot stays true to the seriousness of the subject matter without losing any of the humor. What I never expected from these two was that they would have some EXTREMELY HOT moments, with an intense attraction that was addictive to watch. The relationship also felt real, with their personality flaws on full display, which made them super relatable.

Of course, I can't leave out Go Gyeong Pyo as Jeong Won. Not only is his bromance with Hwa Shin perfection, and an essential part of the story, but he completes my favorite kdrama love triangle, possibly of all time. These three actors had me excited about watching their shenanigans each week, and I could never quite guess what would happen next. I loved them so much that for the first time I was excited that a show was longer than I expected it to be. Gyeong Pyo is also the kind of character that the term "Second Lead Syndrome" was made for. His actions did start to annoy me after a while, but they never lost their charm as a trio, which was the best part of the show for me.

The rest of the cast is filled with memorable, and hilarious characters. It truly is a great ensemble, with entertaining stories of their own. I could spend all day writing about why I loved each supporting character, down to super cute Seol Woo Hyung, but I will just say it's a cast worthy of a perfect score. Again, I need to compliment the story for staying interesting, and not falling into the same old expected clichés. Although this is pretty much a romantic comedy, I not only laughed, but I cried, I also laughed while I cried, and got deeply invested in each story. It also made behind the scenes in the newsroom seem fun, interesting, and even intense at times. Usually, the "at the job" parts of the story just feel like filler to me in romcoms, but the cast and crew of SBC were entertaining on their own. I also feel the same way about the Chef, and the apartments at Rak Pasta, though it took me a little longer to get into that part of the story because it was initially kinda confusing (especially how related they all were without knowing it).

Would I watch this drama again? Absolutely. In fact, this is one of those dramas I was ready to watch again immediately after it was finished. I have the soundtrack, of course! The "step step" song will be stuck in my head for a long time! There are a lot of good songs and some that fit the mood of the story really well, like "Monday To Sunday"... which always played at the perfect time. Hilariously, "No No No" is maybe one of my low-key favorite OST songs of all time.

Overall, I knew this would be added to my favorite drama list halfway through, so of course I recommend it! By the end, I was totally satisfied and was never bored, and all the weirdness in the beginning made perfect sense... umm... except for the aliens... What's up with the aliens? Anyway, This is an absolute must for Gong Hyo Jin fans and Jo Jung Suk fans, and romcom fans in general. If you're not a fan of either, it's still worth giving it a shot. Prepare yourself to laugh, cry, and crave ramen while watching. This drama is definitely unique, so just go along with that "What the hell am I watching?" feeling that you will probably have in the beginning, and I don't think you will be disappointed. Personally, I miss the characters so much that I'm singing the OST to myself... "step, step, where do I go now?" :(

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Migraine-Inducing

OVERALL
This drama can be enjoyable if you're good at suspending your disbelief...and your values. Watch it if 1) you like the fantasy genre, 2) you like stories that take you on a journey, going through a gazillion plot changes, 3) you'll be happy with a few sweet love scenes. If 1) immature female leads make your skin crawl, 2) you get confused easily, and 3) you can't stand rushed endings, then skip.

THE STORY
I need to start by saying two things: 1) I know this drama is linked to another one, but I didn't see it, so I'm the new, fresh viewer (not the fan of Eternal Love), and 2) I don't usually watch xanxia, it's not my go-to genre. For anyone not like me, then the following review may not be very useful, but if you identify, read on!

I decided to try the drama out because I saw some clips on YouTube that looked fun and cute. From episode 1, I could tell it'd be a rough ride. Let me start with the good stuff. First, there really are fun and cute scenes between the leads. Not too many, not the ULTIMATE best (see Love Designer for that!), but still good enough to keep you going until the very end. Secondly, not going to give much away, but a part of the drama takes place in the mortal world. That part was definitely the best of the drama. It's more realistic, the characters are more down-to-earth, the plot is more coherent, and it makes you really emotional. And...that's it.

Now for the bad. The absolute worst of this drama is the FL. She acts like a five year old 95% of the time (the 5% she doesn't is when she's in the mortal world). I have a lot of difficulty understanding how she's supposed to be attractive to the ML...which leads me to ML, who's too expressionless for my taste. That makes everything worse because he's like a statue and the FL is like...a prepubescent child. It just felt so weird to root for them. And then there's the issue of the FL being dehumanized a few times in the drama, which really brings that weirdness to a whole new level because not only is she demoted to an immature child, but also to an animal and an object. And then there's the fact that the plot jumps from one problem/world to the next and they don't seem to be connected at all, which is confusing. And then there's the fantasy elements that aren't explained well. And then there's the rushed ending. And then there's the flashy surreal visual effects... There's just too many issues that were hard to digest, I couldn't fully enjoy it.

THE ACTING
Despite hating her character, I still liked Dilraba's acting the best, just because she makes it seem so natural. I was not too impressed by Vengo, though it could also be the role. He definitely seemed better in the mortal world part. I need to see him in something else to confirm. I can't say much about their chemistry because, like I said, the romance made me feel kind of awkward at times, given how they depicted the FL. I don't have much to say about second leads either. They weren't particularly endearing, except maybe the demon lord.

THE MUSIC
...yeah...

REWATCH VALUE
Low. I can just watch YouTube clips to jump straight to the worthwhile scenes.

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This is my first drama with Song Joong Ki. His baby face never appealed to me (like watching kid) so I often skipped his dramas. Well, his role in Descendant's of the Sun really turned me around. He was so cool and so sweet, what a great boyfriend he made. My friend's kept telling me the high ratings for this drama was due to the "romance" and the "flower boy". In my opinion, it is so not true. Yes it is about, love, but is also about friendship, sacrifice, honor, and in general the strength and weaknesses of being human.

This drama had a little Iris, a little City Hunter and a little ER all in one. Really good chemistry between the main couple. But the secondary couple also had a wonderful story line as well as great chemistry. Some really moving moments between both couples and some really funny light hearted moments as well. The supporting casts were also really awesome. Great acting from everyone.

Awesome OST, read that it hit the music charts hard in several Asian countries.

As much as I enjoyed the romance of this drama, it also made me think of the danger and sacrifice that our own real life service men and women face for our countries. I also appreciate the many doctors that volunteer all the time for Doctor's Without Borders.

A very well done drama, worthy of the buzz and the high ratings it received. I loved Song Joong Ki so much, I looking into more of his dramas. INNOCENT MAN is looking really good.

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Cliche but so cute

Honestly this has become one of my favorite shows ever. Its cute, has tons of fluffy scenes, doesn't overly sexualize the characters and while it is short it gives the characters time to be able to develop and get together in a natural way instead of having them fight in every episode and then make up in the very last one. There's no toxic exes, and any miscommunication is resolved within 2 episodes at most. The storyline is pretty cliche but there is something about this one that just stuck with me. It's not for everyone, (especially if you're into more intense dramas) but i do think it's worth watching at least once.

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Where the darknes in society meets glitter and magic...

This drama starts off as the regular girl in utter misery meets Willy Wonka + Marry Poppins combo in a magical display of disbelief, magic and misery...

The music was good, the cinematography and effects were all amazing... And the way they adress childhood poverty may not have been revolutionary but they did manage to fit in the importance of the school meal as well as children hiding field trip expenses to not strain an already strained budget in a beautiful way.

The acting and singing is really good, especially the kids. There is also an amazing parrot in this drama that will truly make you laugh and fall in love with her!

As the story progresses the music subsides more or less along side the viewers faith in the adult world and probably society as a whole... This drama and it's subjects may not be revolutionary for a K-drama but it is done beautifully and magically...

There are a whole lot of great lines in this drama that may or may not restore that faith in humanity... or rather in the next generation giving us viewers a good balance between the dark social criticism and hope for the future. This is deffinetly not a fluff piece that will make you feel all good inside but rather a drama that will make you feel more or less everything and I dare say it will also keep you on your toes (the last 3 episodes or so).

Bingeabilaty: 10
Annoying side characters: non
Friendship: 10

What keeps this from getting a higher score from me is it's entertainment value, as mentioned before the first couple of episodes are well done but do not really bring anything new to the table. There is a certain awkwardness + cringe about parts of the drama and they may have overused the words:

"Do you believe in magic"

All in all defiantly worth a watch both for the musical lovers out there as well as those who do not care to much about musicals but love social criticism, important issues and drama as it does fit in quite a bit of that...

" There are no flowers on paved roads... "

p.s. The poor female lead does not have the newest smart phone...

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Very beautiful drama with a disappointing fact.

This is a very beautiful drama with different povs of life and worth a ONE TIME WATCH. Before I review the drama, I am citing reasons why you should definitely watch "At a Distance, Spring is Green" :

1. The very rare trio chemistry between Park Ji Hoon, Bae In Hyuk and Kang Min Ah
2. Warm & slow romance between Park Ji Hoon and Kang Min Ah
3. Beautiful and unique brotherly relationship between Park Ji Hoon and Bae In Hyuk, that you see in no other Kdrama
4. Deep and meaningful storyline with plenty of things to learn from and analyze about
5. This is more of a healing friendship story where the lead characters despite of their type of relationships and personalities, help each other in growing up as persons

LET'S REVIEW-->
STORY:
The drama is a coming of age campus storyline just as it's synopsis says, based in Myung-il University and mainly involves 3 characters in their early 20s who in spite of their age stratification become close due to circumstances and uplift each other while moving forward in life. The lead trio consists of 2 MLs and 1 FL among which one ML is paired up with the FL while the other ML has a subtle or we can say minor love line in the drama. But the drama primarily focus on the chemistry of the lead trio, life values and realistic problems in personal as well as university life. It is deep, beautiful and meaningful from so many aspects that it makes you cry at many instances; not just for the sad events and heart-touching moments, also for the way the characters value life and love. The story also focuses on the youth related problems that students in their early 20s face, such as poverty, mental health, academics, etc. but disappointed how another major problem of young people, i.e. LGBTQIA+ issues has been subverted from the original story and ignored as if it never existed.

As most of us know this is a webtoon adaptation of "Campus Life" which originally has 3 seasons; 1st being focused on the campus life plus lead couple chemistry development development, 2nd being the love story between one of the 2 MLs and another ML's older brother and 3rd being the unlikely warm brotherly relationship between the 2 male leads. The 3 seasons of the original webtoon has been summed up into a single season drama though the story is primarily focused on the season 1 and a major change has been done with the webtoon's 2nd season BL storyline. They introduced an extra female character in the drama to couple with the 2nd ML excluding the minor BL part of the original story. It's a bit disappointing tbh but understandable since they had to make it a cable drama and we all know South Korea's stance on homosexuality and the limits of the industry to produce BL dramas or even feature gay characters in mainstream dramas.

PLOT:
Let's be honest that this drama doesn't have a very extraordinary storyline. I mean to say that most of the things are the old usual events that we have already seen in a lots of campus kdramas. But what matters is how they execute & represent them old stuffs and how the cast performs. And I think this dramas has been able to do a very good job in that regard.

I AM very happy with how they've focused on the trio chemistry throughout the drama which is very rare in Kdramas. All 3 of them went from being strangers to department mates to very close friends who love, care and respect each other while trying to motivate each other from every aspect.

The lead couple chemistry is warm as well where Yeo Jun and So Bin fall in love under unlikely circumstances. Although it happened at an unexpected pace but I guess it's because they've only 12 episodes in total. But overally, romance in this drama is something interesting. I mean to say that this drama could have ben entirely okay off the romance part. What I also read somewhere is that So Bin and Yeo Jun are not even couples in the original webtoon.

What's more intriguing in this drama is the very amazing brotherly relationship between Yeo Jun & Soo Hyun which stands out as a rare kind of friendship you'll ever witness between 2 male characters in any Kdrama out there. It is portrayed on the same level as the lead couple, rather I would say that it dominates the lead couple's storyline but nevertheless, as I have already mentioned the major focus is on the Trio relationship.

HOWEVER, Soo Hyun's love story is a very stupid thing in the drama. Considering how female characters have been created to get him a girl, the writer has done a poor job in writing their characters as well the plot development involving these 3 characters. Also, the mean lady professor who didn't treat his students and peers well, changed overnight and started giving relationship advices to her students, wth!

CAST & CHARACTERS:
This is not a very high cast drama as most of the actors are in actual rookies, even the lead characters are somewhat less experienced considering the number of dramas they've done and it has also has many new faces. YET, I would say everyone has done their jobs appropriately here, even the minor characters has done well with whatever they were given.

Special mention to the lead trio ofc for they had proper character development and growth in personality which obviously happened because they helped each other in the due course. Park Ji Hoon has been doing good in his acting careers for years and this role of Yeo Jun has been well played by him. Bae In Hyuk, though not that new to the industry did a nice job but honestly I didn't expect him at first to be doing a good job in playing a cold yet sorted senior character. Kang Min Ah's previous characters have been somewhat similar, this drama also brought forward a different side to which she reciprocated well with whatever acting skills she has acquired so far.

HOWEVER, I feel the major characters other than the lead trio were of less essence. I mean that's a given since they're supporting roles but still I think it could have been better. Not knowing how the characters have been penned in the original story, I think the drama screenwriter kind of did a poor job in drawing them. Hong Chan Ki's character is at ok level but Young Ran being the closest friend to Soo Hyun didn't have much to do. Mi Joo, the extra character created for the drama to pair up with Soo Hyun, is totally useless. I am not at all enraged because Soo Hyun's BL storyline with Yeo Jun Wan was changed but I honestly think Mi Joo's character went to drain with nothing to offer. They should have rather kep soo Hyun's character single in the story and that'd have been better tbh.

DIRECTION AND SCREENPLAY:
Direction is actually good being directed by a somewhat young director, thus giving out fruitful results. Execution of the script with a moderately paced screenplay editing makes it even more pleasing and catchy to watch. Arrangement of events as well as organising the OSTs and background scores have also been done properly.

OSTs:
The OSTs are actually very beautiful which add extra essence to a drama which is so deep and so meaningful. "BOM BOM BOM" by Punch, "Talk To Me" by Park Ji Hoon himself and "Way" by Chancellor are some jolly & catchy numbers whereas, "Then & Now" by Huski and "We will be not all Together" by Rothy & Han seung Yoon are heart touching and soft tracks... I love the later 2 so much.

UNIQUENESS:
The best reason you should watch this drama is the unique brotherly relationship between Yeo Jun (Park Ji Hoon) and Nam Soo Hyun (Bae In Hyuk). It's not the usual bromance you see in other kdramas where they're either fighting or clinging to each other. The 2 characters literally went from being strangers to senior-junior to best brothers. The way the development of the warm as well as beautiful bonding between them has been shown is rare to find. Even though they found each other annoying, they eventually warmed up to each other despite a huge difference in their personalities. It was as if they were seeking each other's presence in their lives. Yeo Jun who has always been deprived of love from family and looked for affection all his life AND Soo Hyun who has always been strong yet secretly looking for someone to lean on; finally find each other to rely on and end up proving how well they deserve to be good brothers. I am always gonna remember their affectionate relationship.

DISAPPOINTMENTS:
But let me also express my utter disappointment about this drama too. Apart from the poor side characters and the stupid extra female characters, I am still in denial about how the BL storyline was completely dumped into the trashbin. It's somewhat understandable that the Kdrama industry has it's limits because of the Orthodox Korean society but many other Kdramas has put efforts and tried to bring change by featuring LGBT+ characters too. Then why not a university campus drama which has 90% young characters in their early 20s as well their youth problems have been portrayed? Not just in the society, LGBT+ issues are also one of the major problems in modern day campuses. Even though the BL storyline involved one of the MLs, they could have kept it that way in order to bring a positive change and set an example for others. If they thought that no prominent actor would want to play a gay characrer, they should have looked for someone who would do this with an open mind, even if they were less popular. After all that was a minor storyline and it would have been easier to execute but still!? But they totally failed in that regard rather decided to completely remove that part. In another way, it's fine if you did but why would you create a stupid character to compensate that and get the male character a partner? I mean it's not a big deal for a character to end up single by the ending of drama. Firstly, subverting the homosexual characters then altering someone's sexuality from gay to straight; both of these facts enrage me a lot. This is another example why I think Korean netizens as a society and community is just pretending to be progressive in some aspect while they ignore and reject other major ideas which are actually important for someone's rights and happiness, due to their narrow-minded thinkings. I am both angry and sad at the same time though I will always simp for the lead trio chemistry.

So to conclude, overally, this drama and it's story are really beautiful and you should try watching. If you don't care about the original story and okay with the negative change in it's storyline, it's okay and you can go ahead ad watch this. Even I have not read the webtoon but as someone who admires the originality and also someone who himself identifies as homosexual, I am equally disappointed with the change as much as I love it for the warm vibes. I might come back to this sometimes because of the warm scenes and cry watching them, especially the scenes of Yeo Jun (Ji Hoon) and Soo Hyun (In Hyuk). It has many things to learn from which will make you relate and think about your own life, your personality, your lifestyle, your relationship with others and your way of loving ang giving away affection.

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Don't trust the ones giving less score to this drama.

So this is my first ever review, and i am just glad that i am writing for MR. BAD. What a drama!! I would say this is the best Romcom of 2022 for me. So since this is my first review i would like to tell everyone how picky i am about watching shows. When it comes to watching i never go through others reviews and i just need to get the feel from the cast's acting. If i can't connect to someone' acting i never watch their shows. So i started watching me. Bad some days back and i just finished watching today. This is such a gem of a show. The acting, direction , comedy , romance , music everything is on point. It feels like breath of fresh air. The way this is directed kudos to the director. And shenyue's acting is superb. I can see she has improved so much. And this is definitely chenzheyuan's best work and best role so far. His comical expressions are on point. Guys if you wanna feel good drama to laugh , to cry, to enjoy , watch mr. Bad. You guys won't regret it. AND DON'T TRUST PEOPLE WHO ARE HATING ON THIS DRAMA. THAT COMMENTS ARE FROM THE SHIPPERS OF CHENZHEYUAN AND HIS COSTAR FROM SECRETS. I HAVE SEEN THEM DISSING SHENYUE IN TWITTER AND NOW THEY ARE HERE TOO 😂😂😂

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Chess Game Within Chess Game, Maze-Like Writing, Intricate Plots With Compelling Characters

Finally, after waiting for nearly 5 years, the much-anticipated Joy of Life Season 2 comes with a bang. While the first season basically one of the best written scripts in the past 10 years in Cdramaland, the 2nd season as expected still managed to retain the same quality, vibe and layers with new interesting characters and stories.

Again, the things that made Joy of Life stand out among the sea of Cdramas is the maze-like writing and compelling characters. The depth and layers the script possessed are truly one of the best I've seen in the past years. I love how the writer have trust in the audience to interpret and understand the depth of the script on their own -- without telling us via monologue or dialog between the characters. It was so smartly written, with intricate and complicated plots also with so many layers for every characters. The Emperor's wisdom is the greatest example of this -- there are always layers to his words, not just 2 but sometimes 3 to 4 layers. Take example the lunch meeting between him, Fan Xian and his 4 sons -- the Emperor's always want his government clean as he took pride in them but at the same time, 'You can investigate, but not until it threaten my position and my ego.' -- he likes Fan Xian bold enough to make that accusation regarding 2nd Prince's treason, but at the same time, he throw Fan Xian's batch into the lake to save face towards the 4 of his sons but behind the scenes, he gave Fan Xian the Tiger squad to assist him with the corruption case. He is very calculative with everyone and there is always wisdom in his action -- he gets things done without dirtying his hands. He plans, make use of someone and still get what he wants in the end.

Some people might confuse it with plot holes or out of characters behaviors but when we decipher the scene that happened, it proved how we can’t simply interpret the scenes from the surface only. Like Fan Xian poisoning the 2nd Prince. It is truly deliberately done on purpose to mess with the 2nd Prince -- it wasnt because he is reckless or stupid. Fan Xian wants the 2nd Prince to taste his own medicine as he simply treats the 2nd Prince's life as worthless just like the 2nd Prince's view of everyone else's lives. But look now how his life is in danger, look how he behaves -- scared like everyone's else -- very embarrassing to witness. If Fan Xian really want to kill him, he will not purposely show him the poison and later give him an antidote. This is all part of his mind games. He never intended to kill the 2nd Prince. But, he achieve his purpose which is to send the 2nd Prince a message on how his life, just like everyone else is fleeting and can be gone at any time. This served as a warning to him. Also, this again to highlight that Fan Xian has always been petty with a Slam Dunk reference ''Sorry, my hand slipped'' when he threw the wheelchair to the 2nd Prince -- the pettiness that totally mirrored Rukawa & Sakuragi. XD

Also, how upon rewatching, you discover more thing about existing scenes from before. Like how we can view certain characters differently upon knowing more about them like the 1st Prince for an example. It is after all not about pissing contest against Fan Xian during his entrance to the Capital -- but more towards he wants to test Fan Xian's character as he is the man who is going to marry Wan'er and in charge of Treasury in the future. Then later, his future alliance with Fan Xian comes as no surprise as he is a man with moral and just because of that, he will help Fan Xian with his mission to create a better world for everyone.

Also, the foreshadowing is really strong in this season! Like how Fan Xian check the pulse of Prime Minister and the mirror scene where he checks it again in front of the Emperor. Or the foreshadowing that the Prime Minister keep telling Fan Xian to learn how to be cunning like The Emperor or to never to trust him -- like he predicted Fan Xian will oppose the Emperor in the future. Or First Prince's faceless paintings to Princess Royal's saying 'There is someone who doesn’t appreciate her beauty' -- all these are hints for the coming 3rd season that’s about to come. I love how conversations between the characters are either laced with poisons or secrets and that the ''joy'' of watching of Joy of Life. All the little details in the drama makes the story -- I love to catch all of these as it usually served as hints on which characters we should trust or not. For an example, the way it always emphasis how the 2nd Prince use human as stair when he took the carriage while Fan Xian's Dad, using a normal stool. Also the special feature on Chan Ping Ping's chair -- it shows how he is still after all still guarded against the Emperor. Same with how even before the revelations, I knew it was the Crown Prince who brunt the village down and it wasn’t the 2nd Prince. This is effective storytelling as when you combined all the hints one by one and understood the nature of each character, you know what to expect from them -- like the Crown Prince already show his fangs since the first season and only this season we know how dark he truly is -- probably darker than the 2nd Prince.

I love how 95% of the casts are still the same. And it awe me how they didn’t seemed to age except Zhang Ruoyun did lose a lot of weight from the previous season. And again this season, he returned more kick-ass than before -- Fan Xian is still literally one of the most layered, rich and brilliant character I have encounter in Cdramas. He didn’t lose all the characteristic that made him so spell-bindingly shining -- almost like a sun, in fact, this season he just further confirm why he remain my most favorite fictional character -- with how colorful, how unyielding, how he didn’t seem to care for anything but actually care too much, and how he is very uninterested with the power game, yet very good at playing it. He is like a male lead I always want in my dramas -- the one that I always root since he never ever makes any stupid decisions, like ever. I guess I watched too many dramas with the leads yielding to the bad guys' request when they are put in the corner so Fan Xian, is a refreshing case since you can threat him with his love ones, yet he still won’t follow your requests since he is playing the game better than anyone. I'm so happy that all my favorite veteran actors; The Emperor, Chan Ping Ping, Fan Jian, Prime Minister, Fei Jie all reprising their roles and in this season and we get to see many layers of them even more.

And even the new actors, I actually enjoy them -– it’s actually very rare for me to actually love mostly 95% of the characters in one single drama but how can you not? They are all written with little quirks that makes them interesting like the charismatic 1st Prince, the nervous but funny Beiqi Princess and some small supporting actor such as the 2nd Prince Guard -- on how dumb he looks, and always seemed to judge the Prince and how he is studying for imperial exam. Or the even the new Yan Bingyan -- I adore him. I love how he will always try not to laugh everytime Fan Xian did something funny. And it is the best where he finally let a big smile after being trolled by Fan Xian to pay for the whole breakfast.

And with Joy of Life, I find all the villains fascinating instead of hating them. I don’t root for them, but I like them as characters. I don’t remember I dislike any villains in the drama -- and we have a lot -- actually a lot of really grey characters. There are always endearing part of them and that includes the very hateable character The Royal Princess. But I like her a lot -- there is some wickedness in her that screamed deranged but all hide in this beautiful and alluring façade. Or the 2nd Prince -- how he seemed all unserious and casual but at the same time enigmatic and mysterious.

While I always love Joy of Life for the menacing storylines and their intrigue plots, Fan Xian's family dynamic is still one of my very favorite parts of the story. I love how the writer explored the Fan family dynamics to the fullest this season; his Dad is the one who takes him home and pretends not to care but we all know he cares the most. Then his step-mum, how Fan Xian honoring her during his wedding. Then Ruo Ruo's blind faith on Fan Xian and the ever adorable Fan Sizhe, he has finally grow up! I love the part where he finally gets those words of care from the Dad. What a wholesome family! Then we have Wan'er -- I adore adore Fan Xian and Wan'er's relationship. Wan'er represent the life that Fan Xian really wants and he finds calm and tranquility with her -- something that he didn’t get from anyone else. Reminds us that despite the world might be chaotic for Fan Xian, he can always return home where he can finally let his guard down and trust his family fully.

What made Joy of Life simply brilliant is how both the good and bad guys are EQUALLY intelligent and brilliant. It wasn’t a one-sided battle of wits. It is a chess games within chess games kind of story -- we always thought Fan Xian control his destiny (even when he act in his own free will) but no, all these are calculated as he is simply a chess piece as they predicted all that moves from him -- even the controversial ones. However, I love the very fact that Fan Xian truly live a very fulfilling life with no regrets so it isn’t frustrating to watch or root for him. One thing in dramas that I dislike when characters always holding back and wait for their next life to change their fate but not Fan Xian. He truly lives his life to the fullest and loving all the people in his life at the best of his ability. Thus, even if he dies in the middle, he lived a fulfilling life with no regrets and stay true to his ideals and principles -- the best kind of life -- suit the drama's title to a T.

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A romcom that knows it's doing too much and still pulls it off well!

The drama is chaotic and it is one of those "why am I grinning like an idiot?" experiences, and honestly, I am pretty much okay about it. It is self-aware of what it wants to be, slightly unhinged yet somehow it is grounded enough to make you emotionally invest in it.

Khun Thee is the biggest gamble here and it paid off left and right. He is arrogant, clueless, and wildly out of touch, but in the harmless, oblivious way rather than malice. But beneath all the over-the-top antics, he is someone who is learning very basic things but important things like sorry and thank you (it is very hard to believe... I KNOW, but once you watch the drama, you will understand). Watching someone emotionally stunted like him learn things was scratch was very effective, even if it was buried under comedy.

In contrast, Peachayarat (Peach) is the exact opposite of him. If I talk math (I don't know why but go with it), in the Venn diagram of the Me and Thee universe, Thee and Peach have no intersection. He is grounded, logical like a "normal" person and emotionally intelligent in a way that doesn't feel preachy. From a distance, he may look like he has everything in control and is living the best life. But once we get to know him, the cracks of loneliness begin to show and from the point of no intersection we have two separate circles slowly drifting closer, breaking a few mathematical rules along the way, until the impossible happens and an intersection appears, a shared space that wasn’t in the original diagram but somehow becomes the only part that matters.

What makes their dynamic click is how perfectly they offset each other. Thee is excess in human form, while Peach is restraint done right. Thee blasts into Peach’s world all chaos, sunshine and sparkle and Peach, very patiently and almost effortlessly, shows him how to take up space without causing damage. Watching them navigate their relationship was both absurd and heartfelt at once, and that strange combination is exactly what makes it work.

Now, most of it worked for me, but what didn’t quite land was that I felt Peach, as an individual character, was neglected. As a lover, we see different layers of him and how much of a delight it is to watch him put Thee in place but I wish we explored his side of the story a little more in detail too. I wanted a bit of his inner world explored. I feel like we saw him more through the lens of Thee on how he reacts to Thee, how he softens or challenges Thee.

Also, the whole mafia background isn't to be taken too seriously. It was a plot device to provide Thee his unique personality but beyond that, it doesn’t carry much weight in the story.

Another thing that bothered me was the supporting characters. I feel like both the other pairs, Tawan - Aran ( Perth- Santa) and Mok - Rome ( Est- William) were underused. While Mok, as an individual character, did stand out with his relationship to Thee. There was such a surprisingly emotional layer in their dynamics. But apart from him, I feel the story would have been exactly the same without the others.
Aran - Tawan's story had so much potential but I didn't find it cohesive to the original storyline. The way kept disappearing and appearing again to serve us crumbs of angst could have been dealt better. Mok- Rome definitely had more screen time and a fleshed-out story compared to other couple, but it felt very superficial. They teased us and it could have been more.
I love William Est & Perth Santa, and I was happy to see them on screen together, so maybe it's just me being greedy to see more of them!

Coming to the comedy, I did enjoy the exaggerated, over-the-top humour with dramatic meltdowns that was both sort of insane but always in-character. It was silly and very self-aware. I straight-up laughed (with sound and everything not just the LOL expression one) at how absurd everything got and honestly had a blast the whole time.

Acting-wise, Pond Naravit has the time of his life as Khun Thee, and it clearly shows in his performance. I have seen him in previous dramas and without a doubt, this is his best performance. Phuwin has improved too, since the last time I saw him. This is my highest-rated series of both of them and the roles suited them. Est in glasses was not on my bingo card but I will take and accept anything without complaints. William, Perth, and Santa were okay too, acting-wise, though they didn't get much screen time.
Visually, the drama was stunning. I couldn't find any faults. Though I wasn't a fan of the music choices here.

Overall, this is fun, warm and kind of drama that doesn't take itself too seriously but is surprisingly thoughtful. Will I recommend it? Hell yeah!

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I was never planning on writing a review until I watch this drama.

This review reflects my opinion only.

There are so many positive reviews on this site that I thought I might give this a try to give one among few differing opinions here for those looking for it.

Story:
There is not much logic to be found in this story. As many know already, the e-sport aspect has been butchered by the writer so I'm not gonna pretend to understand the industry and give my two cents.
Too much fluff in the relationship between the leads and any conflict feels superficial. We're not shown why the ML fell for FL, or the process of recognizing his feeling, properly. He just suddenly started to flirt with her for everyone to see.
The plot is very tropey, just like CEO cliché story transplanted to e-sport industry: Genius, super rich male lead with the short tempered girl.
Side characters serve no real purpose other than to react and facilitate the relationship of the main lead couple.

Acting:
Only touching on the leads acting here.
Xu Kai is okay, not great, not too bad either. If he has any brilliance to show, the script wouldn't allow it haha.
Cheng Xiao is very bad at acting, period. She has mostly the same facial expression throughout, wide eye repertoire when she's trying to emote. She even acted the same way after Tong Yao fell off the stairs (can't remember the episode). She's been in a few dramas already, none of which I've watched, and starting with lead character from the beginning. She'll continue to act as leads in the future, but if her performance in this drama is any indication, I wouldn't watch any of them.

IMO, this drama is overhyped on this site.

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LOVE ISN’T BLACK AND WHITE, NEITHER IS LIFE!

***DISCLAIMER: This is just my opinion after watching the drama in it's entirety. I will try to remain unbiased and give an honest review. We don’t have to agree and I’m not here to argue with anyone.***

This show should really be called “The Price / Cost of Love” , “Understanding Love” , “Walking With You” , “The Time of Us” or “Sandcastle” (iykyk❤️)

I enjoyed this drama so much. Contrary to popular belief that this show is “ trash” blah blah blah (insert other bad comments / non-constructive criticism) I feel like it was realistic and people can take various life lessons from it. The biggest lesson that was emphasized was for people to stop sitting around wondering “what if” and instead seize the day, go after what you want / who you want because it might turn into a missed opportunity and you will have to live with regret. The second was don’t make rash decisions in the spur of the moment or lie because you’re afraid of confronting and dealing with your feelings. And lastly, stop running away from your problems because they will eventually catch up to you.

Imo this drama was refreshing considering I’d only ever known Moon Ga Young in juvenile roles. It was nice to see her portray an adult and go through “grown up” issues. I feel like I can finally relate and empathize with her character now.

General Overview:

Su Yeong is a young woman with a dismissive avoidant attachment style who struggles with depression, scars from the past, grief from her brother's death and a broken relationship with her family. She first meets Sang Su when he comes to the bank and she’s his senior who has to train him and help him learn all the tricks to being a bank clerk. They got closer and she really was there for him. Fast forward 3 years later he has been getting promoted while she has remained in the same position. Su Yeong feels as though her life is stagnant and she won’t move forward in her career compared to her peers because they all have college degrees whereas she does not. She develops a bit of a complex because of this and realizes no matter how hard she works or tries she’ll never get promoted. She realizes her place in society as she is from a poor background and has no degree. Everyone looks down on her and makes up rumors about her even though they don’t have a clue about who she is. Sang Su seemingly has a crush on Su Yeong and at the beginning of the drama he attempts to pursue her. They go on one date and agree to go on another however when Sang Su was on his way to meet Su Yeong he hesitates. She can see him from the restaurant… notices his hesitation in coming to see her and she feels horrible. She immediately leaves and essentially shuts him out of her life.

As the story goes along you kind of understand why Su Yeong ignores him and pushes him away. For the first time in her life she was willing to let someone in and truly be happy but in the end she realizes they would’ve never worked out because of their places in society. She ultimately decides it’s better for her to go on without him and pretends to date Jong Hyeon instead at first to get rid of Sang Su and quell her feelings for him but along the way you can see her tenderness for Jong Hyeon as she feels sorry for his unfortunate circumstances and invites him to live with her instead of quitting his job as a security guard and moving away. Enter Mi Gyeong — a college friend of Sang Su who is clearly into him and will do anything to get him wrapped around her little finger. She eventually senses that there is something between Sang Su and Su Yeong and goes out of her way to befriend Su Yeong by giving her gifts, taking her to dinner and finding out what she likes / dislikes. Anything to keep Su Yeong at bay and also guilt trip her into backing off from Sang Su for the sake of friendship. If keep your friends close and your enemies closer was a person, that would be Mi Gyeong. Nevertheless, her plan doesn’t work out because as it is Su Yeong and Sang Su are incapable of staying away from each other.

There’s a lot of unnecessary drama in between of them fighting feelings for one another, entering relationships they had no business being in because they were still hung up on each other / pining for each other unintentionally. There was literally no need for them to bring other characters into their business/drama. I hated Mi Gyeong, Gyeong Pil, and Jong Hyeon just a little bit more than usual because even when they found out the truth they tried so hard to make Sang Su and Su Yeong’s life more unbearable. That to me proved that their desires were more important than what the people they claimed to “love” needed. If that’s not selfish idk what is. People can call Sang Su and Su Yeong selfish for wanting to break up with them but they were selfish in different ways. Like be so frl, I got sick of them acting like they got the short end of the stick and were done the worst injustice by Sang Su and Su Yeong breaking up with them. Like sometimes people have to make tough decisions for themselves even if it hurts someone else’s feelings. I feel like Su Yeong and Sang Su both always spent their lives putting others before themselves and the one time – THE ONE TIME, they wanted to choose themselves (be selfish) and go after love / the person they truly wanted to be with it was such a huge problem. At least they weren’t trying to stay with their partners and cheat behind their backs. That would’ve been so much worse / messy. The worst part is that they both tried so hard to spare Mi Gyeong and Jong Hyeon feelings but ended up doing the opposite and hurting themselves in the process. They even admitted their faults and apologized multiple times but somehow it was never enough… especially for Mi Gyeong.

Lmao don’t let me get started on her. I just hate how she pretends to be a “nice girl” when she is in fact very self-centered and mean. She befriended Su Yeong because she sensed that there was something going on between her and Sang Su and she thought that if she was nice to her and kept on buying her things she’d feel guilty and back off. It was so disgusting to me the way she’d worm around situations and try to have everyone bend to her will. She wanted to be so different from her father but eventually she realized she was just like him and then defended him by saying "that’s probably how he shows love"??? That was bullsh*t. Not her condoning her father's actions in order to justify hers, then perpetuating her continuous desire to control everyone and everything by trying to buy their favor.

In my humble opinion, Sang Su and Su Yeong’s moments were precious… anytime they talked — really talked and listened to each other on long walks, drank (playing the “truth” / “lying” game), or hung out by the seaside — it was really beautiful. I felt their emotions pull on my heartstrings and bring me to the point of tears several times. For me, it was like “How can two people be so right for each other yet not stand a singular chance of being together?” They had mutual understanding, comfort, and peace whenever they were with each other. The harsh reality is that both were stupid and allowed society and other people's opinions of them ruin what they had. People told them they shouldn’t and couldn’t be together and they believed them instead of believing in their relationship and what they had.

Her leaving Sang Su the last time — I’m sure he saw it coming. She always runs away except this time he decided not to chase after her because he felt like that’s what she wanted, he respected her choice and decided to give her space. Even after four years passed, Sang Su always kept Su Yeong close to his heart. While I’m sure he respected her decision he just couldn’t understand it. I’m guessing Su Yeong just wanted to disappear and have a fresh start but I’m sure a part of her also wanted Sang Su to chase after her or convince her to stay. It’s so messed up when someone feels like a burden and that they’re to blame for all the misfortunes that happen to them in their life. It’s like they feel like they deserve it but ultimately they also think they deserve nothing at all. This is why I can understand Su Yeong distancing herself from everyone and not believing she deserved love or even happiness.

One thing I disliked about this drama was the miscommunication trope. Don’t get me wrong it’s okay when it’s done right but there were a lot of moments you know could’ve been fixed with a simple conversation. Sang Su would’ve listened to her and appreciated the truth. There was so much sneaking around and lying for no reason. Like I can try and understand/empathize with Su Yeong’s reasons… she rather destroy everyone/everything and burn it all to the ground + run away rather than face and conquer her greatest fears. She is distant, cold unfeeling, and avoidant but that legit doesn’t excuse her always wanting to run away / disappear. Sang Su on the other hand never speaks his mind and prefers to suffer in silence / take on the weight of other people's problems. Yes, I get that he’s protective and always wants to save the day but lol some girls (ie. Su Yeong) don’t want to be saved. They just want to be understood and seen/heard for once in their life. Yeah, it sucks but that’s pretty much what I got from their dynamic. In the end, it worked because they really balanced each other out.

Another aspect I absolutely hated about this drama and a lot of others is that they always have all the characters make up with each other. Like even if there’s a huge falling out they always have that plot point where years later they come back and everything is all hearts and flowers. I wouldn’t say that’s realistic because sometimes a person really isn’t for you / meant to be in your life. Sometimes the friendship/relationship was toxic and you know that you’re better off without having them in your life, meeting up to discuss what went wrong, or even making amends. Usually it’s better to just let things be and move on. Live and let live as they say but idk maybe Mi Gyeong and Su Yeong are just super mature to see past their differences… though I doubt it because she legit had to remind Su Yeong how much she resented her in the past but at the same time she missed her ? Make it make sense.

The truth is, some people are just happy knowing you’re not as happy as they are in life — it brings them peace knowing they won and you lost. And I feel like that’s truly how Mi Gyeong sees Su Yeong… she looks at her life as small and inconsequential in comparison… saying it “suits her” Like bffr Su Yeong owns a drawing cafe while she’s a big manager in HQ. Su Yeong gave up her job and her life in Seoul because she knew she wasn’t and would never be accepted. I kind of wish she spent the last four years in college getting a degree so she’d feel better about herself and able to face the world and people with more confidence. Sigh. I also didn’t like the fact that Sang Su never rlly tried to move on from Su Yeong in those four years. I guess he decided a long time ago that she was the one for him and made her occupy all the space in his heart and mind. It’s kinda sad… I know Su Yeong would’ve wanted him to be happy regardless.


Final Thoughts:

If I could sum up this drama into a few words it would be “will they or won’t they?” ahhh if you don’t like slow burns, slice of life dramas or melodramas then do not watch this. Trust me it’s super slow and it’s more pining / longing than the leads actually getting their happy ending until the very last episode. I have to say though their chemistry is really good and you can feel the angst / tension through the screen.

Don’t watch this drama if you are going to view it from a one dimensional lens and blame the characters for being flawed as adults. People mature at different stages and as it turns out some people have to fall down and make mistakes in order to learn and grow from them. Nobody is perfect is what I’m saying and these characters all have their shortcomings, baggage, trauma and scars.

If you’re not willing to see them as actual human beings with issues and trauma to deal with / faults to overcome then again I reiterate do not watch it.

If however you want to stick around for these two love struck idiots who actually deserve a real chance at happiness and a shot at a real relationship together then do continue / start watching. It’s a rollercoaster ride (an unreasonably slow paced one lol!) so you're definitely going to go through the emotions and really feel for them (especially if you are emotional / have a big heart / empathize with others) If you’re looking for a drama that is more insta lovey and doesn’t have much plot / story building then I suggest you go watch something else.

Overall I gave this drama an 8/10 (initially it was a 7.5 however, I figured disliking the ending alone isn’t fair) My rating is primarily because still find myself thinking of these two and their tumultuous story. I can’t ever let them go / forget and I think that’s the point. They were the definition of “right person wrong time” and I just ate it up. This drama was enjoyable for me and I don’t regret watching at all. I think more people would’ve given this drama a higher rating but the open / bittersweet ending made them take off some points, so to each their own.

Long story short, this drama really stuck with me and I stuck with it because it’s a realistic portrayal of people living their daily lives, experiencing love, kindness, jealousy, heartbreak and everything else in between. It highlights the fact that that love is hard work. It’s not perfect, it’s not a fairytale and not everyone gets a happy ending. It’s solely based on people’s efforts and how much they are willing to compromise for someone else. Love is overcoming obstacles, facing challenges and choosing / fighting to be together. It’s putting another person before yourself (no questions asked) and rooting for their ultimate happiness. It’s choosing to let them go even if it hurts, even if they are happy without you because if you love them you will respect them, their choices, and ultimately want the best for them.

I would recommend this drama to persons who like slow burns, second chance love and slice of life dramas. Honestly, I really liked it — I mean the first episode really drew me in because I was so shocked and had to know what happens next. Obviously this show isn’t for everyone but if it’s for you / worth watching then you should know by episode 3 or 4. Also I'm not sure if speed watching helped me enjoy it more bc I watched this drama on x1.5-x1.75. I find that the pacing in these types of dramas are unnecessarily slow and that tends to make it seem like it just drags on forever. So maybe you could try speeding it up if you're having a hard time getting into it.

I also really enjoyed the OST. It has the perfect balance of fun / flirty upbeat songs mixed with sad and emotional / heartfelt ones. I still listen to it from time to time.

Would I rewatch it? Yes because I am a sucker for slow burns, I loved their moments / interactions and even though the ending is sad / bittersweet… it’s their story. It’s a little messy but it seemed real and I felt like I was with them the whole time — watching, waiting and rooting for them to make it along their individual journeys + also finally coming together, to find peace at the end of it all.

There’s this quote that says “The beautiful journey of today can only begin when we learn to let go of yesterday.” And I feel like it perfectly captures Sang Su and Su Yeong. Even though though their journey came to an end, I believe that the open ending still offered a great deal of hope for them to eventually let go of the past, move forward, and create a new “future happiness” one filled with better memories and without regret.

All in all, I think that the drama did a fantastic job of portraying the ups and downs of love. Sang Su and Su Yeong are not perfect (so far from it actually) but they’re special in their own little way. In my eyes some people are meant to be, just not made to last.

This drama is not for everyone but what I will say is:
THE PEOPLE WHO GET IT GET IT!!!

Anyway, that’s my two cents <3

(Sending love to everyone who stayed and read all this ily!)


Happy watching!

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

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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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I just finished watching this near midnight and I don't want to put away writing this until the morning. What I'm feeling now demands to be written down.

I don't think I've watched any drama until now that felt so absolutely pointless at the end of it. That doesn't mean that everything was great until the end though.

First of all, it was real slow. Throughout most of the episodes, there isn't anything much happening than characters wallowing in emotions or doing what they do without any background score.
There was no getting used to it, you just had to bear with it. Mostly you bore with it because, while the screenplay inched along and something finally happened, the actors emoted well and those scenes were good.

Also, I can say with certainty, if it were not for my liking both Mike He and Ariel Lin, I wouldn't have made it even halfway through.

And, Then there is the ending..
After you sit through it all, the way they choose to end it is nothing but absurd. I didn't fully watch the last two episodes. There was no point to continuing with the torturous-ly slow process when the only reasons for watching the show took a beating.

That's all I can put into words now. The only reason any one can have of watching this,in my opinion, is if they like the lead actors, because it's a tough ride even then.

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All the Tropes and All the Charm..

Skipping Love Your Enemy means missing out on some pretty solid writing and acting.. You might have seen losers in love before.. But this drama takes silliness to an entirely new level.. That said.. I have to admit I genuinely enjoyed their relationship.. There were a lot of unexpected heartfelt moments in the drama..

I started watching for JJH.. But the cast surprised me.. I really loved the supporting characters... They delivered great performances.. And the story has its moments.. The comedy was on point.. No unnecessary side plots or gimmicks.. Even the second male lead was well written.. Which is rare in kdramas.. He wasnt annoying at all.. Well not until his last scene..

One of the standout elements in Love Your Enemy is Seok Jiwon’s character design.. Particularly his integrity.. It adds so much depth to his character.. He was truly admirable throughout the drama..

For me the highlight of the drama was their younger version.. Their teenage relationship.. It was so well written.. And the actors really portrayed it with such authenticity.. Honestly they deserved a couple of episodes just for themselves..

Overall.. Love Your Enemy is a refreshing drama.. It has all the tropes.. Childhood friends, Childhood sweethearts, Enemies to lovers, Workplace romance and Second chance romance.. It delivers great humor and a no nonsense storyline.. Easily one of the best romcoms of 2024..

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