Reviews

Dynamic with high intensity caused by a sheer impossible tension between self-control & surrender

Revenge and KDrama obviously go extremely well together. TV productions are full of it. Actually, the revenge-motiv appears to be eternally young, being grippingly re-staged over and over again. "Eve" from the year 2022 is one of them - idiosyncratic, with an unmistakable coat of paint. "Eve" is about a long-planned vendetta against one of the most powerful Jaebeol clans in the land. "Eve" may join a long list of KDramas in the revenge genre. However, this KDrama scores with its very own charismatic aura.

Premise of the revenge-plan against the most powerful: Perfection should be brought down by perfection.
Maximum control should be conquered by maximum control.

If one wants to control life to perfection, what remains is a lifeless, loveless shell. The price of power is transcending one's humanity. The little Jaebeol preschool daughter vividly fights the emotional price of power: she's already learning to play golf, but she's still peeing her pants - she´s overstrained ... Living the Win are her parents and grandparents: feeling and behaving like deities... The perfection of arrogance finds its direct expression in the control, the unscrupulous abuse and the brutal oppression of others. It goes hand in hand with self-control. Yet, the extent of the staging of their 'beauty' and ´perfection´ becomes downright repulsive and turns 'beauty' into its opposite - disgust.

The (dramaturgically chosen) valve grounding the human being in his earthly transient body is the dance. Here especially the tango. Exotic, erotic, heavy, deep, dark. The dance, the rhythm and the music bring you back into your own body. You have to listen to it - in tango to the body of the partner, too. So it's also about perfection here, but it consists of perfectly balancing your own body movements with personal authenticity, feelings and perception. THIS ´perfection´ draws from itself and is not at the expense of others. It culminates in a state of relinquishment of control - an altered state of consciousness. This condition only lasts for the moment of the dance, for the moment of encounter. (The Andalusian flamenco even coined its own term for bringing the dance to perfection: 'Duende'. This concept stands for an almost ecstatic state of consciousness that results from surrendering to the interplay of different brain areas, physical dance technique and emotion.) This moment makes you feel alive - intense, true, pure and innocent.

Throughout the individual episodes the revenge-hungry protagonist (a fantastic So Yae-ji) maintains an extremely high tension between the poles of maximum possible emotional self-control (in the service of the elaborate revenge plan) on the one hand and complete surrender to the sensual, invigorating movements of tango dance on the other. As the dance draws its power and charisma from the depth of the subjective, authentic emotional world, maintaining this tension is almost impossible. In fact the KDrama thrives on this very special dynamic (of the sheer impossible bearing of the tension between self-control and surrender). The result is a consistently high and gripping intensity.

I have read some reviews that accuse this KDrama of the (missing) chemistry of the protagonists or the ending or the resolution of the revenge motive, or even the revenge motive at all. Well, that is of course a matter of taste, too. In any case, I think the motive for revenge suits South Korean authoritarian society. Even today. I also consider the character of Kang Yoon Gyeom being drawn (and acted) extremely well - if the protagonist were sympathetic, open, tangible (and, if you like, more classically attractive), then the relationship dynamics would be more predictable. His repulsive, calculating side suits him. The fact that he is 40 already plus he doesn't really fit the image of classic male love interest suits the role, too. So do those very subtle nuances that reveal his other (touchable, needy) side. He is not extremely likeable. I agree. Yet, thus the provoking relationship with him subtly, unintentionally and unexpectedly develops its own dynamic. The ambivalence - attractive vs. repulsive - comes across quite well in my opinion. A strange chemical mixture, an unknown factor in the revenge plan equation. The reactions triggered by this in turn leads to an ending, that is what it is. ... Either way, revenge NEVER makes you really 'satisfied'. Because the pain of the old wounds or the memory never goes away, and the loss cannot be reversed either. On the other hand, with revenge new karma comes along and is guaranteed to be saddled on top of everything else, which one has to spoon up ... (This is usually overlooked when one sets out to take revenge...)

From my perspective, "Eve" is a haunting KDrama - with a lasting impression for sure.

It might also be worth mentioning:
The staging of the cruelty within the Elite world, their madness as well as the space given for the sexual dimension of the relationship are exceptional for a KDrama. However, these deliberately staged rather animalistic or even archaic aspects of the human species (which are assigned to the evolutionarily older brainstem or reptilian brain) set a sharp contrast to the hypocritical, superhuman self-portrayal of the Jaebeol elite...





---------------------- SIDE NOTE: --- Revenge motive and KDrama - for once wanting to control the elite 'authorities' who otherwise control the rest of the country ---

South Korea (with its comparably recent dictatorship history) is probably one of the places on earth where (perhaps a little bit more than in many other places where rule of law has already gained a somewhat more solid footing) rules still mainly apply to 'simple' people, the masses. The influential Elite, the Jaebeol in particular, namely play their private, own, elitist game. They are isolated from the rest of society. They seem to own the world. They live and rule as they please in their own orbit. When their world collides with the masses, it's annoying, but rarely turns out bad for them. They simply get rid of disruptive factors (or better: let others get rid of them). They enjoy all the freedoms. For them, ordinary people are actually of no worth. They can be substituted. They can be controlled by money or violence.

The state should actually be responsible for objective justice. But 'state' is made up of people. And the less binding the objective rules are handled by these people or the more rules can be bent, stretched and interpreted in favor of the 'perpetrators' from elite circles, the greater the subjective dissatisfaction and the stronger the desire of the 'victims' for vigilantism - the desire for revenge!

However, there is a difference between the desire for revenge/subjective justice and the realistic possibility of actually getting it. For the influential powerful, a few phone calls may suffice. The common people have to be a bit more subtle and sophisticated. Vigilante justice needs to be well planned. Especially if you want revenge on a person from the orbit of the Jaebeol. It costs time and money to be able to penetrate their world at all. In most cases, sworn helpers are also necessary. After all, it is to be expected that the same applies here: a plan is there to be discarded... Not everything can be foreseen. Details have to be improvised. The space for the unexpected can only be calculated with a degree of blurriness.

Against the background of authoritarian South Korean social structure, KDrama and revenge motif often and happily enter into a dramaturgically promising connection. It offers a vicarious valve for the emotions of the many ´victims´ of a corrupt system...

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Made me want to vomit blood

Watching all 59 eps made me feel like I was going through my own tribulation. Honestly, the amount of times people spit out blood in this drama is enough to paint a highway. But that’s not the point. Due to the overwhelming positive reactions to this drama I was excited to watch it. The first few episodes were interesting and the backstory of the God of War was my high point. I was interested to learn more but none of that gets revealed until nearly the end. What I got for the remainder of these 40ish eps was a weak ML who got stabbed more than a pincushion, a stupid annoying FL who is controlled by the worst villain to ever exist, hypocritical “righteous” sects who made me feel homicidal to the point that I ended up rooting for the demons, contrived misunderstandings just to drag out unnecessary plot points and so so so so SO MUCH TALKING! Good lord!

I was not a fan of the leads going in and while they probably did the best they could I feel the FL is miscast. She does not pull off the duality of Xuanji/God of War well. I kinda laughed at how big her hair piece was and the armor was terrible. The ML was also kind of one note due to the character being selfless to a fault. Watching him getting stabbed, poisoned, tortured over and over again got so boring after the millionth time. It made the character feel pathetic and weak and it felt like the only reason he kept living was the thick slab of plot armor they padded him with.

The story went off the rails once the Star of Mosha returned and things turned weird and made me wonder if this was a BL drama all of a sudden. But to be frank, the actor who played Luohuo Judu pulled off his duality better than the FL anyway. When he’s menacing, he’s terrifying but when he goes soft it’s so believable.

I appreciate that the drama focused so heavily on the FL’s backstory and the ML served more of a secondary role to her journey. It’s kind of a nice role reversal but the writing and characterization was just too elementary and sub-par. While there’s a lot of depth to the villains, the main heroes felt so one dimensional. For 90% of the story FL has no agency whatsoever and is manipulated by nearly everyone around her. The only time she takes control is when she turns into the Star of Mosha who just so happens to be a man. Kind of a bad subtext there. The other female characters in the drama revolve entirely around men as well and have no agency of their own. I began to fast forward a lot towards the end. This could have easily been cut short into a 30 ep drama and saved me a lot of time.

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I am a fan of PoT and for me this is an okay drama to watch. If you like the humor and friendship side, this is a good one. But if you like to watch matches, not so great. The bad side of this drama is that most matches are cut shorter and some fillers are draged longer. Matches are based on the manga. Some fillers are created, may be based on the anime. It is quite frustrating if you watch this at the same time as it was aired( I’m Vietnamese so I got to watch it with Vietnamese sub a day later). But as a rewatch, I don’t think it’s that bad. If anyone like shipping, there are hints in this drama, all of them are cute. I’m glad that they kept all the techniques. The actors/ actresses are good, they portray their characters quite well. It’s nice to have a series that is related to PoT.

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As unending as an oath, this drama drags on forever...

This drama is truly a test of love and patience. Your love and patience that is.

After YAMG, I thought we would get another sensible modern drama since, the novel this show is based on received immense praise but sadly, I live to be disappointed.

Yang Zi’s Zhi Xiao is immature and annoying. Her only saving grace is her good choice in a partner, Dr. Gu. The side couples are two-dimensional characters whose life's purpose is to get on your nerves. This drama is a struggle to finish from beginning to end. I had to hug the thighs of the fast-forward button to skip a lot of senseless scenes but Zhi Xiao still managed to annoy me.

The first four episodes were ridiculous but did get better until we were confronted with a father that likes to torture his family. He is a victim of circumstance and ‘woe is he’ but for some reason I could generate no sympathy for his plight.
We are introduced to the second male lead and female leads who try to get in between our main couple’s awfully sluggish love story. Misunderstandings abound and their resolutions like the story take forever while leaving an unsatisfactory aftertaste.

By episode 20 I stopped caring about the storyline and the side characters. The male lead and my unending patience were the only things keeping me watching this travesty. There is a minor rise in interest when the male lead suffers a setback. I was pleasantly surprised with how the female lead stuck to her guns and at the same time supported the male lead. This was probably the only sub-plot where I found her behaviour admirable.

While the plot in romcoms has always been a foregone conclusion, as viewers we watch it for the cast, subplots, setting and dialogues. Unfortunately in The Oath of Love the plot is thin, the pacing highly inconsistent, most conflicts un-engaging, with forgettable dialogues. The female lead was annoying 8 times out of 10 and the narrative became repetitive in the middle phase. I am just glad this wasn’t 40 episodes as my corpse would have to review this drama then.

The only positives in this drama for me were the cinematography, the background music, the lure of a happy ending, the little theatre at the end of each episode and the eye-candy, Xiao Zhan. Unfortunately none of these positives were strong enough to overcome the tragedy that was the drama.

It’s possible that some will like this drama for all the same reasons that I did not. But would I recommend anyone to watch this? No. Unless you are a staunch fan of YZ or XZ and gifted with boundless patience, this drama is not for you. For a middling fan lacking in patience this drama cannot score more than 5.5/10.

You've been warned. Watch at your own risk.

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I've actually finished this drama 10 days ago but somehow I wasn't able to let it go, I wanted it to stay longer in my currently watching list. And that's because I completely loved it. Yes I did. With all its holes, stupid, unnecessary and illogically evil Guo family, with less screen time of the Yin's who were the most important folks in this drama, with some rushed moments that looked like they were cut and with very uninteresting villains. And still it was an amazing journey. Because of those details I couldn't give more but I seriously fell in love with this drama.

The plot seemed very intriguing and engaging right from the start and we follow Liu Xiu's and Lihua's journey through the whole drama, from the moment they find each other after long time through many fights together against the current Emperor and for the people till he finally became an Emperor himself and then with classic palace intrigues, we live the life in palace with them. I wanted to learn and find more about this part of Chinese history as I was interested to hear more about her, about that woman who was a true companion for her man and who became an Empress with humble and pure heart. And it did live up to my expectations.



Let me tell you something about the leads and characters they played. Honestly you don't get to see such fantastic leads often in some drama, who carried the heaviest roles, who acted so believable to the point I literally wanted to wipe off their tears, kiss their foreheads, hug them tightly and smile with them when they were happy, they really engraved in my heart for a lifetime. Lihua and Liu Xiu deserve the title of the best couple ever in whole historical dramaland. I simply couldn't take my eyes off of them. Their relationship that is built on ultimate trust and honesty above all, so strong that nothing could destroy it. I really appreciate that between the couples. I became to feel respect for Liu Xiu cause he treated Lihua with such love and care, with such relaxing and positive attitude, he didn't care when she pretended to be a guy as he didn't care when she stopped pretending because for him she was one and only Lihua who he loved since he was a kid, he loved his men all equally and he trusted them, he wasn't jealous when Lihua was alone with them, the only woman between men and still he had real trust in all of them. For me that was the biggest strength of this drama, one big comradeship, men who fight for one cause and who built such powerful friendship along the way. Really worth seeing and experiencing that.

Not to mention chemistry between our leads, it was electrifying, you could feel it in your bones from their every move and I came to wonder how it's possible that Ruby and Justin are only friends? Amazing actors indeed. Justin has been my favourite Chinese actor since Scarlet Heart but Ruby, I didn't think she was this good, the woman is outstanding actress, that's for sure. Her gracious figure when she was a Lady Yin in the palace, her coldness and calmness when it was needed, her passion and courage in battles, her endless love for her family, she was the actual hero of this drama and she carried all of it. I don't think I've seen till now female character like hers, that much educated, smart, brave, loyal, tomboyish yet feminine, strong yet fragile, lovable yet very strict and someone who was selfless when it came to her family and closest people she loved. The one woman I'll admire forever. Yes in some scenes she exaggerated, all of the sudden she acted weird and not like before, that's when I thought that this drama has some flaws but most of the time I could totally relate to her and understand her.



This drama is also very good cause of the females, you get to see many intelligent and strong women who were most of the times more brave and smart than men which is a rare thing to experience in dramaland. Hu Po, Ding Rou I completely loved, those two girls were such support to our heroine and the ones who were beside her all the time never abandoning her. They are supporting characters but they mean so much, without them this drama wouldn't be the same. I enjoyed in their love stories too, one with Lihua's brother who was such adorable and wonderful guy, and the other one with Gongsun, Liu Xiu's best friend and most loyal general.



What was one of the biggest strength of SaA is family. Bonding between members of a family, between Liu Xui and his brothers, sister and mother, between Lihua and her brothers and mother, between them and Deng's, it was such wonderful sight, watching so many family members being so close and taking care of each other. For me Lihua and her family were the ones that captured me, they gave me feelings of warmness, coziness, feeling of home, I really fell in love with them and their relationship, every one of them had important role and each one of them simply crawls under your skin. I cried so hard when some of them died, I felt like my heart was ripping apart when some events happened and the way they happened, I really think that my heart died a few times during this drama and that's when I knew that this drama will become one of my all time favourite.



Many scenes were so real, battles were done in very good way, effects pretty realistic, sceneries breathtaking with beautiful usage of colours-red, blue and green, astonishing costumes, I wanted so much to try at least one of those dresses, everything seemed really on high level with high budget. For that part I don't have complaints.

Also music, opening and ending songs are so beautiful, the lyrics are among the most powerful I've heard and they have such deep meaning, every time I listened to them I get goosebumps. They fit perfectly with the drama and its plot.



I think I said everything I wanted to say, I think SaA is definitely a drama worth watching cause you don't get to see lead characters like that every day. And you don't get to see relationship building like that every day nor such comradeship and brotherhood. Those things are for sure the ones that will win you and keep you interested to watch it till the end. Despite all the plot holes and some really stupid characters and happenings. I would love for more dramas like this one, please.

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I am spellbound by their magic!!

"Cherry Magic" is a series that has captivated my heart from its opening scenes to the closing credits, weaving a spell that I simply can't resist. The characters, the office vibes, their chemistry, and that slight touch of magic – it's got everything that makes my heart skip a beat.

Warning: Spoilers ahead!!!

It is set up in an office premises. It starts with Achi talking about him turning 30 and how a standard life of 30 year old should be, only to confess that his life lacks all those elements. But to his surprise, he gains magical power of reading people's mind and that's where everything begins. Achi, he is clumsy, under confident and at the same time innocent, extremely adorable and kind but also relatable. Damn I can definitely see why Karan is so whipped for him- I mean who wouldn't be?

Then we have Karan, he is confident, achiever and has the standard 30 year old life according to Achi. But more than that he is whipped for Achi. He is a freaking green forest. He has a secret crush on Achi and he finds everything that Achi does adorable and I don't blame him because I ain't any different. They both are adorable and so is their chemistry. Damn their interactions, subtle touches, glances, those inner monologues, those visions from Karan's imagination, those kisses, those moments, everything, I loved and enjoyed everything.

Let's talk about the real magic of "Cherry Magic" - those lines and moments that hit you right in the feels. Like the line, 'Sometimes I even feel relieved that in a world where I seem to fade into the background, Karan always sees me.' I mean, can we take a moment to appreciate the beauty of this!! And it's not just the words; it's the way they play it out. As Achi looks at Karan when Karan is passing by his seat in the bus, he remembers all the moments with Karan. More so the moment, in the retreat, when he thought no one would want to pair up with him and he just aimlessly, without looking backward, walks backward and collides with Karan's front. Their eyes lock, Karan smiles and the question, "Do you want to pair up with me?" unfolds like a fairytale. Sounds cliche I know but trust me, that moment felt so magical. I was legit smitten by this scene and it's not just a one time thing. I have so many favorite lines and moments- be it that rooftop moments or the beach moment or the pre Loi krathong festival moments or those read my mind moments or those absolutely heart melting video calls. This series is like my happy pill. I have so many favorite moments and whenever I go back to watching it, I am instantly happy.

Talking about the supporting characters, first and foremost I love Pai. She is so cute, charismatic and moreover I feel her. Aaaaahhhh my heart!!! Also, her chemistry with Rock is so adorable. Rock is kind of talkative, funny and cheerful guy and he is whipped for Pai and I am too. Moreover, their confession scene was so so cute. Moving on to Min and Jinta, I love them no less. Jinta, he is a really funny guy. He also gains the magical power of reading minds and the way he was freaking out about it and trying to avoid people's touch, it's hilarious. Moreover, the cat's thoughts really cracks me. And the confession scene of Min and Jinta, it had me rolling and blushing. They are so adorable.

Also, the ost Loudest love, oh my god I absolutely love it. I had it on loop for days. To top it, the ost 'Everything is magic' is Achi's pov and 'Voice within' is Karan's pov , both the mvs are connected and it's so adorable plus ear pleasing. I am absolutely smitten by them.

Highly Highly Highly Recommended!!!!

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Well, that happened.

I enjoyed Fish Upon the Sky, and while I noticed the shortcomings of the acting, both leads had good comic timing, and there were good secondary characters to help carry the weight, plus Pond is gorgeous and Phuwin isn't far behind, so I was looking foward to this - I thought for sure it would be campy fun, with a billionaire heir that everyone is trying to kill having also to get through high school.

Unfortunately, the production takes itself very, very seriously, which makes this a cringey, plot-hole ridden mess of inauthentic emotion and weak acting, and the end result is a series that's alternatively frustrating and boring.

It wants badly to be a PG-rated KinnPorche, but somehow missed the campy outrageousness of that series, which made it's giant plot holes features rather than bugs. Here, everything is a plot hole. The violence is gratuitous, very poorly integrated into the story, and without creating any stakes at all, while leaning heavily on cliches and contrivanaces that are just incongruous and silly.

For example, why is this set in high school? What possible reason for this is there other than "BL needs to be set in school"? Why is a billionaire heir that everyone is trying to kill even in high school? Instead of endangering the lives of the entire student body, why not home school, or just not go to school at all, given he's stupendously rich and has a business empire to run (after he's done with swim practice and his homework)? If he's in danger, why would you give him only a teenaged fisherman as a bodyguard? If you're going to do that, shouldn't he at least be able to protect his charge? Palm can't even fend off bullies at a ballroom dance! (Speaking of which, who goes to a ballroom dance at a senior center to pick fights, and why did everyone just stand around while the ballroom dance thugs [sigh] try to beat someone to death for virtually no reason whatsoever except to insert violence?) Being kicked for half an hour only gives Palm a few scratches, so this is an early indicator that there are absolutely no stakes in this series.

Early on, Neung's mother is gunned down at point-blank range by assassins that simply ride through the open unguarded gates of the mansion - I guess nobody thought to increase security after her husband was gunned down - drive to within 3 meters and open fire. And fail to kill anyone or even wound Palm's father (I think. He seemed totally fine afterwards). The boys are sent to a fabulous beach resort to "hide" for their safety, where they frolic all day and Nueng proclaims he's never been happier in his life. Never been happier than the week after he had both his parents gunned down before his eyes and is fleeing certain death? OK, I guess we all have our standards of happiness, and he never gives his mother a thought during this time, so maybe he just doesn't like her.

There is absolutely no plot purpose to the entire beach resort section of the story - it's simply a contrivance to give the couple a honeymoon, because that's where it goes in the formula, whether or not it makes sense. From the wreckage of the underlying novel behind the script, it looks like the author's intention was to put Nueng through hardships which harden and mature him so that he can return and take on his enemies, but all he does is pay off a loanshark and let Palm's mother sacrifice herself to save them after Nueng completely stupidly uses an ATM and then doesn't immediately leave, allowing the baddies plenty of time to stealthily sneak up with a bunch of thugs dressed all in black at a beach resort walking around with photos loudly asking "has anyone has seen these two boys?" Sigh.

Nueng then dumps Palm with the "find a good woman who you can be happy with" cliche which makes me want to BURN THINGS DOWN. Then they get back together because Palm does the "nonconsensual hug from behind" stupid cliche which makes me want to burn more things down. Then Nueng dumps him in his sleep - sleep induced by pills Nueng buys from the sleeziest and shadiest sex motel manager he could find and then puts in Palm's beer. Sure, why not? Nothing could go wrong with that plan. Besides, Nueng is rich, so he could buy his way out of a charge of negligent homicide. Later on it's Palm's turn for a contrived breakup - the third time's the charm, right? I don't know about you, but if you break up three times for completely stupid reasons in the first month of your relationship, are you really meant for each other?

Anyway, Nueng goes home surrounded by bodyguards, and the story more or less picks up where it left off, which raises the question, what are the stakes? Why didn't Nueng have bodyguards before? If it was that easy for a high school kid to seize control of a giant business empire, why didn't he do it before, when he had Palm's father to lean on and help and guide him?

Then, the authors seem to think that walking in slow-motion, speaking in a deeper voice, and being stern is "maturity", when his underlying behavior is foolish, ungenerous, short-sighted, and otherwise stupid. If you want to seize power, do you march around in dark suits and make grand entrances everywhere and go out of your way to announce yourself and your intentions and humiliate and anger your enemy, or do you take him by surprise?

Anyway, Nueng makes a grand slow-motion entrance to his family's hotel accompanied by that "inception blast" - you know, that loud BWAAAAAA! that plays in movie previews whenever something big happens, in order to lend it weight. So he does that, gives a dressing down to his usurping uncle, and announces he's taking power over the family empire. So what's the next scene? The exact same BWAAAAAA! slo-mo entrance... at his high school. Wow, big man, intimidating high school students with hired bodyguards.

From the moment of his return, everything "meaningful" he says is accompanied by the BWAAAAA!, a musical "mic-drop", as if that gives gravitas to his banal pronouncements. Then he's reuinted with Palm at a derelict building - it turns out Palm has been following him around from about 5 feet away for two weeks, which somehow Nueng's guards failed to detect (and so did Nueng) - because a tall, smoking-hot man dressed all in black and a leather jacket every day in tropical weather isn't noticeable or anything. Also, a photographer follows them into the building, again slipping past the bodyguards. I don't think a single bodyguard managed to guard even one body the entire series.

There are lots of other things that just ring untrue, major and minor. For example, someone suffers multiple gunshot wounds. So what does his boyfriend do? Apply pressure to the wounds to limit the bleeding, you might guess? No, he does what any responsible adult does wth a crying baby, and shakes him vigorously and demands he be OK. I suppose it could be an act of love to try to accelerate his bleeding out so he doesn't suffer, but in that case it might be faster to just shoot him a few more times, Almost comically, it turns out the gunshot victim has a spinal injury - yeah, no sh$%, someone was violently shaking him. I suspect our instinct to staunch bleeding is exactly that, instinct - we've evolved to just automatically know to do that. His behavior is only understandable in the context of some sort of narcissistic psychotic disorder - fear of being alone overpowers basic instinct - perhaps to be expected in a person who has the best time of his life right after his parents are gunned down.

And can someone PLEASE explain the Christmas carols. It's very diffiult to concentrate on what's happening when Joy to the World is playing in the background. Why does this keep happening in BL?

Phuwin is good at comedy, but his lack of acting ability is glaring in a dramatic role where he has to play high school Michael Corleone (The Godfather is the clear inspiration for this series - from the romantic exile to the hospitalized parent in danger, to the son who wants nothing to do with the business eventually being forced to take it over and become ruthless. Well, ruthless-ish). This is underscored by the poor casting choice of Perth Tanapon as his cousin Chopper - poor, I say, because Perth is so phenomenal that it's embarassing to see them together in a scene. If he and the also-able Chimon had been in the main roles, instead of criminally underused secondary characters, this series would have been on fire. As it is, the dynamic between Chopper and his father is the most compelling element of this drama and should have been given much more time (Chopper's father is played by super-hot Nat Sakdatorn - they had strong chemistry. They should do an age-difference romance).

In the first few episodes Pond surprised me - he seemed much improved in acting skill, but then he just spent the entire series looking like a kicked puppy, which he does well, but it gets dull.

This is not all bad. The production quality is fairly high, Pond and Phuwin spend a LOT of time in swim trunks, which is good eye-candy, Perth, Chimon and Nat nail every scene they're in, and there are cute scenes between Nueng and Palm, although their romantic chemistry is close to nil, they do have great buddy-energy. If you're a Phuwin & Pond fan, you will probably enjoy this. Otherwise, I'd skip it.

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So, I actually never watched a drama with Victoria as a lead before and from reviews I read, I went into this ready to drop it. However, I was pleasantly surprised. I wouldn't say she's an amazing actress, but I also wouldn't say that she made the show unwatchable. I enjoyed what she had to show and that's that. Also, to those who care, I'm not the type that cares for age-gaps in relationship and find shows that tackle these issues all the more interesting.

***SPOILERS***

The show itself brings us into the world of family and community in an Asian culture where social perception is held highly by families. One thing I AM glad they showed was the objection of the brother's age-gap relationship too. Not that I approve of EITHER relationships being shamed, but at least they weren't gender-biased about it.

The beginning of the show highlights the brief relationship between YS and HFX where we can CLEARLY see the conflicts that arise from her lack of dating expertise or lack of perspective from the other side (the man's) and his aggressive and youthful passionate approach to love. While she tries to hide their relationship and fears from the social implications of such a wide age-gap, he trudges onwards and tries his best to go about this 'hidden' relationship.

Let's be real, I totally understand why HFX is conflicted. If I were to bring home a man 10 years younger than me, I'm sure my family would also question me about it. It isn't in the realm of 'normal' and I think that's something that the show is hinting at. Normal for HFX would be to end up YLM, but there was no love - it was just compatibility in the sense of age, career, family, and such, but there were no feelings of love involved which made it hard for their relationship to bloom. We all wish we could make love blossom from nothing, but that's not how it works. With that said though, her character still really annoyed me, especially returning of the necklace. That just isn't something you do....to ANYONE. If someone bought you a gift that you believe was well above their means, talk about it. Don't just return it. I'm just glad she realized and bought it back (and owed YLM another favor *eye roll*)

YLM isn't all bad, but he is a bit creepy. He's TOO into this plan and stalking his love interest to the point that it's freaky. Also, the writers needed to lay off the 'coincidences' of him seeing HFX and YS together when he's out on his own. I understand that he just wants to find love and that's great, but it's also interesting that he went from the guy that was all about 'his destiny' or something to trying to plan out how to get the girl.

YS was immature, but I felt rightly so. As an almost new college graduate, he's a passionate young man that wanted to pursue his love interest and taken seriously. He may have come on stronger than necessary or made decisions impulsively, but like I said, he hasn't even graduated from college yet.

I actually enjoyed the main couples interactions MUCH more after they broke up, and they were 'friends'. Not because they were broken up, but because I felt like it was less restrained. Since there was no longer the labels of girlfriend and boyfriend involved, they bickered more, had less tense-filled conversations and all of that to me felt more organic. When they were dating it felt too much like they were trying to please each other and don't get me wrong, that's great, but they also needed to know each other more and be open about who they are.

Enjoyed the side characters! Sad about her father :( He's so loving towards his children and it broke my heart when he went missing, and He Canyang cried coming home.

Also, HCY and Minmin's relationship is adorable. I found that their relationship is very balanced where they both learn from each other. Minmin is a VERY open, forward, and sensible woman and HCY though immature, has the years of experience and can see her bright and wonderful personality. The scene where he tells her that a relationship isn't where one holds the power over the other is great to see, especially in a relationship where they have a 12-year age gap. He yields to her and learns from her while also teaches her and corrects her mindset. Honestly, even if they don't stay together, I feel like they would both have a lot to gain from the other in their loving relationship.

Love the female trio storyline as well. Honestly, this drama is so PACKED with storylines and such that my review is also all over the place. But overall, I enjoyed it for what it was and would recommend giving it a try!

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A complete mess

I rarely dislike a drama, but Dear X somehow managed to push every wrong button from beginning to end. I hated it with everything I have.

I see people calling the criticism of Ah-Jin “misogyny” because male characters in other dramas often get away with worse.

Honestly? I have no problem with a psychopath protagonist. If a character is written as evil, chaotic, and destructive, and the show clearly knows they are “bad people,” I can watch that. I can even enjoy that.

But that is not how Baek Ah-Jin is presented. She is framed as this empowered, victim turned queen going after what she wants, when in reality she is just causing destruction because she refuses to break out of her self-pity. My issue isn’t her gender, it’s the way the show wanted me to root for her despite that.

I felt bad for her for maybe two episodes. But the moment she made her boss take the fall for her dad’s murder, I was done. She hurts people who genuinely cared for her. She wants the world to suffer simply because her parents were awful. Escaping the victim mentality could have saved her life, but she chose to drag everyone down with her.

Baek Ah-Jin left a trail of victims wherever she went, but for me, Jae-Oh was the most tragic casualty. She manipulated him relentlessly, emotionally chaining him, molding him into whatever she needed, and keeping him under her control for years. In the end, he even died for her. Jae-Oh was completely shackled, and considering how difficult his life already was, her influence only dragged him further into misery.

Kim Yoo-jung is stunning and undeniably charismatic. She has that celebrity aura, and honestly this might be her best performance to date. She shines in her evil scenes but falls flat in almost everything else.

Kim Young-dae might have finally found his genre. He is too pretty to be that expressionless, but here the blankness works perfectly for his character. I think he gets too much criticism for his acting because he was paired with experienced actors like Shin Min-ah and Lee Sang-yi too early in his career. No Gain No Love was simply a mismatch. But here, surrounded by actors closer in age and experience, he manages to hold his own.

The show constantly suffers from a lack of logic. Every single character behaves exactly the way Ah-Jin predicts, as if they are puppets dancing on strings only she can pull.

The writing is another rollercoaster. Where is the consistency? Where is the character development or growth? Why does it feel like not a single writer is doing what they are supposed to do?

The saddest part is that the first two episodes were so damn interesting. Then everything went downhill so fast I got whiplash.

And don’t even get me started on the ending. Every genuinely good character met a tragic fate; even Jun-Seo, who sacrificed everything, died. Meanwhile, Ah-Jin’s character walked away without facing any real consequences for her actions, which made the ending feel narratively hollow.

Honestly, the most fitting conclusion would have been Jun-Seo and Jae-Oh choosing each other and leaving Ah-Jin behind, but of course the show denied us even that.

But I’ve got to give credit where it’s due. The penultimate episode was incredibly satisfying. Ah-Jin finally had to endure the same pain she spent the whole show inflicting on others. Watching everything she built crumble, and seeing her struggle now that she’s the one on the receiving end? She absolutely hates it, and I loved every second.

Dear X had potential, good-looking actors, and a promising setup. After episode 2, the show became a chaotic, illogical disaster held together only by an even more disastrous character. I regret watching this stupid show, but at least it gave me something to rant about.

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Playbook vs Playlist

I watched Resident Playbook first. For me its all about the acting. The main cast was a pleasant surprise for their chemistry and antics and character development. I learned a lot about the OBGYN challenges faced by expectant mothers and how they were dealt with medically.

The last episode where Dr. Chu and Yang exploded onto the set as pure enjoyment. It has set the stage for a sequel that I encourage to happen quickly. Ahn Eun Jin is one of my favorite actresses. May she get the female lead role.

I then circled back to watch Hospital Playlist. I found it dragged a lot. I knew Eun Jin did not have a large part. I was disappointed with her onscreen time. Now I understand the evolution of Dr. Chu that ties into the RP episode 12 appearance.

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Rebel Without a Cause.

This is one of those magnificent, high budget productions that starts so strongly that I kept shushing that  inner voice that whispered "masterpiece" for fear of jinxing it too early. Sixty-eight episodes later, I am sad to say that despite some excellent arcs and moments, this drama falls far short of its breathtaking early promise.

*** Be warned that there are mild spoilers in my review - I will avoid major spoilers. ***

Wang Xuan or A'wu, the titular character is a fictional only daughter of Prime Minister Wang Lin, head of the Langya Wang clan whose formidable political influence straddled several early dynasties since Eastern Jin. Their hold onto power is secured via an incestuous (and icky) pact with the imperial Ma family whereby for twelve successive generations, the Wang clan heiress is chosen as empress. Wang Xuan's legacy 王氏之女 母仪天下 literally means the Wang clan daughter is the "mother of the world" or the empress. Thus he who attains Wang Xuan, attains the world. This is not just a prophecy; she comes with the power and influence of the Wang clan who are kingmakers. The drama dumbs this down to be just about lovesick men after her ravishing and incomparable beauty. That is just icing on the cake and not the only aspect of her appeal to ambitious men who cannot otherwise legitimately claim the throne. This is with the exception of the the weak and foolish Zidan, a character who exist only to love A'wu. In this context, A'wu's expectation of a love match is unrealistic and not possible for any of the noble elite; marriages are political alliances where the best one can hope for is some affection that may or may not quite be love.

A'wu's first and most significant act of rebellion is against her destiny as empress and in doing so, she goes against her father and by extension her clan. This upsets the balance of power between the imperial Ma family and the Wang and Xie clans and sets an intense power struggle in motion. While her motives are naive, this is the first of many decisions she makes that undermines her clan's extraordinary grip on power. In fact, she protects the imperial family's birthright without questioning their worthiness. In this matter, she is indeed a rebel but one that lacks a just cause because excessive in-breeding has made each of the Ma heirs some combination of stupid, unfit and unworthy. That said, I saw character growth and could understand and largely empathize with her decisions until the arc that sees her return to the capital with Xiao Qi just past mid-way through the drama. Until then, the plot was well paced, suspenseful and the motives of the main antagonists layered and interesting enough to make this worthy of a 9.5/10.0. Unfortunately the drama peaks there and after that, the plot falls flat and becomes overwhelmed by tropey two dimensional villains with repetitive and boring motives.  Wang Xuan's character regresses and she makes very questionable decisions, the worst of which culminates in a very shady mating dance that I cannot un-see no matter how many times I rinse out my eyeballs.

Xiao Qi and Wang Xuan's relationship is the best thing about this drama. Even though he didn't get enough screen time to do his character justice, Zhou Yi Wei 's Xiao Qi stole the show. It is so nice to see an actor looks and fits the part of a battle scarred, undefeated general in the role rather than some scrawny idol actor with baby smooth skin. Much more so than Wang Xuan, Xiao Qi is thecharacter that I really root for in this drama. He has riveting chemistry with Zhang Ziyi that compels me to keep re-watching the way their romance unfolds and progresses. It is freshly written and their natural and intimate interactions manage to avoid common drama relationship cliches. Both actors communicate deep and complex emotions with few words and tiny, nuanced changes in expression. Their relationship is not perfect - they have their share of challenges and conflicts. It is disappointing we don't get to see how they navigate their greatest relationship challenge as Wang Xuan is caught between protecting her first love and Xiao Qi's quest for justice.

What is super annoying is that Zidan could have been written to be a much more interesting character rather than one that is frankly a complete waste of screen time. He got such an absurd amount of time he was constantly popping up like a bad tart when all I wanted to see was Xiao Qi. It is understandable for Wang Xuan to have some lingering regret and affection for him but that is not well flushed out. The fact is she married Xiao Qi to save Zidan and at the end, she still rescues him while turning a blind eye to his crimes. It makes me wonder if he was indeed her one true love after all.

The crux of the problem is that Zhang Ziyi's portrayal of Wang Xuan lacks complexity. Her A'wu stopped becoming interesting the moment she grew up to be the more politically astute Wang Xuan. She becomes a suffocating paragon of virtue and forgiveness 母仪天下; the mother of her country and and inexplicably staunch defender of the (worthless) imperial family's absolute right to rule. She wears a perpetually aloof and haughty expression and does not let anyone forget that she belongs to nobility; that she has familial obligations and ties that a commoner and an orphan such as Xiao Qi could not possibly understand or relate to. While she is entitled to forgive her enemies for wrongs they committed against her personally, it is absolutely not her place to broadly dispense justice as she sees fit. She casually makes decisions of great weight and consequence as without any appearance of inner conflict or overarching ideology or sense of justice. If this makes her a rebel, she is one without a cause. I like Zhang Ziyi but this is not a role that she shines in. Despite not looking the part, I had no issue with her portrayal of the young A'wu. It is her Wang Xuan that ultimately fails me. I abandoned the novel because I disliked how narcissistic the character was written to be there. But in the novel ,at least she is very conscious of her beauty and charisma and wields it ruthlessly to accomplish her goals. I never imagined disliking her hypocrisy and sense of entitlement even more in the drama. It does not help that Zhang Ziyi's portrayal is so humorless she even takes the joy out of getting drunk off her ass. At least Wang Su is a fun and uninhibited lush, the kind of drunkard anyone can relate to.

My favorite character and the one that shores up the drama is Yu He Wei's Wang Lin. He is the only truly complex character that is smart without being infallible, unabashedly ambitious, cynical and unrepentant. I love how he gleefully, insightfully analyses situations and peels away the layers of righteousness and hypocrisy around him. There were many times I could empathize with and even support his cause.His plotting against emperor Ma is the drama's best arc. Wang Xuan is actually remarkably like him in terms of her innate arrogance and sense of entitlement as well as her ability to make bold decisions on important affairs of state. As he exits, she steps into his role as the silent force behind the throne with Xiao Qi as the military power that anchors her influence. She is truly her father's daughter in more ways than would make her comfortable if she could see herself. This does not come across clearly because Zhang Ziyi whitewashes Wang Xuan's character and does not dare to embrace her dark side. Everything comes to a full circle when father and daughter discuss love and marriage and she more or less admits that her relationship with Xiao Qi is not too dissimilar to that of Wang Lin's with her mother. It is convenient that she loves him but their marriage serves a purpose that is far grander and more encompassing than love.

While the ending is acceptable, it is in too many important aspects disappointing. Given that regime change is not a viable way to end this kind of drama, it should not have been written to make such a compelling case for it. ZIdan did not have to have been written to be such a jidan (鸡蛋) or a zero. It is obvious many important parts of the ending episodes were edited out which is such a sloppy thing to do when they could have substantially edited down the most insipid Wang Qian/Helan Zhen arc instead. As a result, there is no justice for the Neem Yu Shan massacre and we don't even get to see how this atrocious outcome was negotiated between Xiao Qi and Wang Xuan. Both characters but especially Xiao Qi, disappoint me greatly in this. Thus at the end of the day it does not look like anything substantive has changed or that the kingdom is in a better place or in the hands of more competent rulers. I really want to give this a 9.0 but with that ending, it is at best an 8.0. That said, it is still a very entertaining drama with a distinctly memorable OTP that you should watch. Just don't get fooled by the strong start into expecting a masterpiece.

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Affection level for this Series, Plus Plus Infinity

I just dived into the show without giving it much thought and I was utterly surprised from the very first minute. First and foremost, I love the transmigrating into the game premises and all those game inbox styled notification just add even more to the whole premises. It's a unique concept in the BL world and it's executed pretty well. Sure, the later half of the series felt a bit rushed with abrupt cuts but hear me out the plot didn't feel one bit incomplete and I enjoyed it anyway.

Talking about the cast, I love each one of the leads. They all have portrayed their character so well. My favorite is, no doubt, Tae Myung Ha. He is such a sweetheart, a cool one at that. He transmigrates into the game like world and his mission is to make Cha Yeo Woon, his favorite character, happy. His affection level with Cha Yeo Woon starts from minus and with the minus affection level brings a bunch of debuffs that just makes the whole concept even more interesting. It's so heart touching to see him care for Yeo Woon. Yeo Woon, he seriously turns on my protective mode. He is so so so freaking cute and his smile is everything. He really deserves the world.

Myung Ha and Yeo Woon, they are absolutely adorable. They would be the one flirting, smiling, looking at each other, interacting and going on dates but you would be the one blushing, smiling and banging your hands somewhere. I guarantee it. Their cuteness is really blinding.

Also, the other lead, Ahn Kyung Hun, he looks so adorable with those thick glasses, curly hair and he is a real sweety and a really really good friend. Cheon Sang Won, him trying to get Myung Ha's attention is kind of funny and annoying. But I liked him too. He is just as adorable as the others.

And I so badly wanted Yeo Woon to call Myung Ha Hyung instead of Sunbae even just once, not that I had any problem with Sunbae, but you know just the urge. And I know I already mentioned this but they are absolutely absolutely adorable and I have binged watched it for the nth time now. And I am still stuck on them.

I really enjoyed watching this. Definitely highly highly recommended!!

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An Emotionally Moving Journey, That Is More Than Just Skin Deep

"Fangs of Fortune" or also known by its native title as "Da Meng Gui Li" which translates to "The Big Dream Returns" is a fantasy drama which incorporates Chinese mythology from the 'Classics of Mountains and Seas'. It's an adventure that revolves around mythological creatures ; demons versus mortals. Leading to action packed scenes with visually pleasing CGIs, eye-candy visuals and delicately detailed costumes. Not to forget the banger ost titled 'Unintentional Big Dream' which adds to the excitement as it rings for an eventful scene. This is the first initial impression, but as we dive more into the storyline and if you ask me how I perceive it on a deeper level, here is what I would tell you...

Fangs of Fortune is a tale that is more than just skin deep. It's an emotionally evoking journey that touches meaningful themes about life, death, love, hate, friendship, family, growth and dreams. This is definitely not just a mere demon versus mortals story, but it's an intricately woven story about self discovery and what makes one's life worthwhile. The underlying meaning of the title is about the acceptance of fate and the defiance of fate, that concludes to one word: willingness. It tells you how powerful that one word is when faced with life choices or when devoid from having a choice.

STORYLINE₊ ⊹❀
The first half of the story began on a light hearted tone with comedic scenes inserted. Although, this might come as an unexpected surprise for those who thought this drama to be heavily dark theme and gloomy. I thought otherwise, the addition of the comedic aspect didn't add as a mere filler or entertainment, I saw it as another layer that adds to the complexity of the characters. The first half tells more about the coming together of the demon hunting team as they venture out solving one case after another, however, their relationship among each other is still at the state of testing the waters due to the fact that the well-renowned vicious great demon Zhao Yuan Zhou who everyone fears or hates the most ; except for Wen Xiao, turned up to be part of their team.

As the story progresses more, the characters who seemed to be one-dimensional in the beginning have started to have complex layers upon the small revelations that were revealed about them through the use of flashbacks. Slowly, the story had started to touch grey areas that is more than just black and white, or in other words good and bad. The flashbacks weren't thrown in one full blow but instilled into the storyline parts by parts, therefore incorporating a mysterious effect which I found intriguing. The inclusion of backstories for the side characters - demons who were the prime suspects in the cases they were solving, added depth to the storyline. Furthermore, these flashbacks and backstories serves essential as they contain the key details that would play a role in the latter part of the story.

The second half of the story is where a complete tonal shift from the previous part takes a turn, despite the consistency in insertion of a few comedic scenes, the emotional heaviness and angst played a pivotal role here. After the long journey of the demon hunting team, the revelation of the truth took a toll on everyone, but this toll became the fuel that served for the fruition of their newly formed bond. What I like about how their bond was formed is that it wasn't handled in an abrupt way, but rather the complex characters were given time to sit with their own feelings, it allowed them to self-reflect and process acceptance of the truth in their hearts, as a result, it led to a more genuine formation of their bond ; it's realistic and well-thought of.

The romance aspect between Zhao Yuan Zhou and Wen Xiao isn't heavily the focus of this drama, it was rather balanced with the friendship aspect and other themes. Despite this fact, it didn't hinder me from actually feeling the romantic chemistry between the two leads, their romantic story is convincing enough. I truly loved their scenes together and found every moment of theirs heartwarming. The playful banters, the bold flirty remarks, to the heartfelt conversations. The slow burn trope. It was all conveyed well.

The ending of the story (including the special episode) is absolutely phenomenal. While it was all painfully heartbreaking and tragically sad, it was a very meaningful and touching end that does justice for the underlying message of this drama ; the willingness to accept their fate, and the willingness to defy their fate.

The cinematography for this drama is aesthetically pleasing, it is definitely one of the things I love about it. Apart from this, I find the slow-motion effects on the action scenes as a great way to highlight its stunning details and movements, hence making it more impactful. While I didn't really have much problems with these areas, I did notice at least two scenes that were abruptly cut but I found them minor so they didn't really affect me to the extent that made me dislike it.

CHARACTERS & ACTING₊ ⊹❀
Neo Hou as Zhu Yan | Zhao Yuan Zhou
Zhao Yuan Zhou is a heavily misunderstood character in the drama. He had spent his life in seclusion, surrounded with constant loneliness and tormented by guilt. He lived life awaiting his deathbed. Upon seeking for death, he unexpectedly found friendship, love and felt happiness for a while. He's an extremely selfless character that lived up to his name as a great demon, not because he is powerful, but because he has the biggest heart. He is the epitome of willingness, which is why I found the drama centering about him to be touching.

Neo Hou gave a stellar performance in his portrayal of the great demon Zhao Yuanzhou, he brought complete justice to his role. He didn't shine in this drama because of his action scenes alone, his emotionally impactful expressions of all the complex emotions of Zhao Yuanzhou in different intensities, from the light-hearted to heavy scenes made him really stood out. In addition, he nailed the comedic side of his character. I must say that this is his best role to date, this is the first time in a long while that I actually liked a character he played. He truly carried his role here.

Chen Duling as Wen Xiao
Wen Xiao is a mortal who possesses the power of the Baize Goddess but even with such powers, she has been presented to be a physically weak character. Despite her physical weakness, her strength lies in her cleverness, her ability to strategize, her strong determination, and resilience. She's a character that served as a pillar who brings the team of misfits together. In the storyline, she is utilized in a way that adds balance to the demon hunting team, at the same time she served as both a moral compass and a light of hope for those who lived in complete darkness ; ZYZ & ZYC. She might not be an over powering character, but she's an essential character.

Chen Duling proved her versatility as an actress in this drama. Her portrayal of Wen Xiao and the Evil Wen Xiao deserves praise. She's definitely talented and can pull both roles very well. Her crying scenes is heart wrenching, I cried so much whenever she cried. Her character was well-written, and she had her shining moments. I did think she deserved more screen time and wished her character was given a bit more focus in the storyline. However, I still did appreciate Chen Duling's portrayal of Wen Xiao.

Tian Jia Rui as Zhuo Yichen
Zhuo Yichen is a righteous character who lived his life awaiting for the day he could avenge his family. He seemed like an aloof character who is bad at expressing himself at first, but he is actually a very soft hearted character. His character development throughout the drama proved how he is truly the roof of the demon hunting team.

Tian Jia Rui had pulled off his role as Zhuo Yichen really well. He was able to show more of his skills as an actor through this character he played. As much as I loved his Gong Yuanzhi in MJTY, I think it has now been officially replaced by his character here as Zhuo Yichen.

Others
At first, Zhen Xuan's Ying Lei and Lester Lin's Bai Jiu portrayal threw me a bit because of how anime-like they both were, eventually though I did manage to get used them. As for Cheng Xiao's portrayal of Pei Si Jing, I had a bit of a similar experience but in a different aspect, I knew she was written to be a cold and strong character, but I found the first crying scenes of Cheng Xiao lacking, thankfully she did improved in the latter episodes in this aspect. Meanwhile, Yanan's villain role as Li Lun is commendable.

OSTs₊ ⊹❀
The songs that were mixed into this drama were meaningful, as they not only made the whole watching experience better, but each of these songs were perfectly tailored to match each of the characters stories and the casts personally singing them adds as a cherry on top. My favorites are definitely 'Yuanzhou's youth', 'Heaven and Earth Are Unrivaled' and 'Spring Breeze Does Not Ask'.

OVERALL IMPRESSION₊ ⊹❀
This drama has left a lasting impression for me. The overall experience has been an enjoyable little adventure which I will definitely remember. The compelling storyline and well-rounded characters which crafts the underlying message of this drama is certainly what adds color to the dark and gloomy cinematography style. As someone who doesn't mind angst and sad endings, I can say that the whole journey from beginning to end has been of value, all emotions spent regardless whether they were laughters or tears shed definitely didn't go to waste.

The actors hard work and effort put into this drama has certainly paid off. The chemistry between Chen Duling and Neo Hou. The brotherhood between Neo Hou, Tian Jia Rui and Yan An. The formed little family of misfits in the demon hunting bureau. I am surely going to miss all these.

FAVE SCENES₊ ⊹❀
- Zhao Yuan Zhou's big dream revelation at the peach blossom house
- Wen Xiao's 300 years in the sundial
- Wen Xiao and Zhao Yuan Zhou's "one day"
- Wen Xiao and Li Lun's game of questions
- Tian Xiang Pavillion scene
- Lord Bingyi and Yinglong backstory
- Bai Jiu and Ying Lei's almond cheese
- Li Lun, Zhao Yuan Zhou and Zhuo Yichen's collaboration
- Zhao Yuan Zhou's last moment of hesitation

˖ . ݁❀𝜗𝜚❀. ݁₊

"There are thousands of laws in the world but none of them can defeat a single word of willingness" — Qing Geng

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CREEPY CREEPY ENDING

I couldn't emphasize enough how that ending is giving creepy sexual predator vibe.

This fantasy-scify has a very unique main story. A guy from the 90s is transported to the present after offending a local deity (or priest). The story revolves around his adjustment to the present time and his quest to get back to his own time, all while meeting his old and making new friends, and of course it wouldnt be a BL if theres no romance so finding the unexpected love of his life is a given.

The end. Or actually that should have ended it.

First of all, whoever thought that title Past-senger should be given a raise, because thats the only witty thing in this series. Title alone summarizes what Kiew is - a traveler from the past and the first few episodes has also successfully explored the concept of a time traveler adjusting to his life in the present. However things got boring so fast and the slow and repetitive pacing bored me with almost nothing significant happening in the middle episodes.

The whole series screams low-budget. The cinematography is giving an old tv soap opera vibes and combine that with poor makeup is a total disservice to the artists. Here we are bombarded with a lot of close up shots that exposed the actors in a bad way.

I also dont know if anyone noticed how grating the background sound is - that monotonous guitar strum will sometimes be exchanged with an equally annoying piano or musicbox melody that only highlights how much they spend on music. These background music were utilized so unfittingly that it gives me headache and muting the show became a necessity.

Seriously, can anyone raise theiir hand if you think literally tripping or falling over someone is romantic? I have never known any couple in real life with that experience and to see that happen in almost every other series out there is so infuriating.

I can forgive the script (i will blame it on the poor translation) and i think the actors did what they could with what they were given. There was a few story arc (and quite a few tropes) that i wished they didnt do and the young stars is in need of major acting workshop.

I, however, liked the fact that they almost respected the concept of the time travel paradoxes (as they did it much better than a certain series with 609 in it). There were a few lapses but they are bearable.

The biggest issue is when they added that ending scene, where the present day Kiew meets Bamee again. There is an air of almost predatory creepiness in it and i think they could have handled that a little better.

Finally, I should also call out producers in Thailand to please please give Cooper a good project. This guy deserves a big break and maybe a partner who will elevate him into a bonafide star.

This series, although not exactly A-class is admittedly a guilty pleasure watch every Wednesday night. Would i re-watch? Oh hell no! Unfortunately, no matter how much fun, well intended and lighthearted the series is, it is still hard to recommend.

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