Reviews

A worthy remake

Blind Witness is the Japanese remake of the Korean movie "Blind". For those of you who enjoyed the original movie or the Chinese remake, I can recommend this one!

Although it's not even close to as good as the original it's still an enjoyable movie that feels like it's own thing instead of just another remake. The way the movie introduces the main character and her backstory creates a very good base for the rest of the story.

It’s always hard to make relatable characters that feels real in a thriller movie due to the nature of the genre and the limited time, but the characters in Blind Witness are definitely likeable enough. Be warned though that, as with many thrillers, the characters will make frustrating decisions at times.

Even though some scenes felt a bit underwhelming and left me disappointed, Blind Witness still has a very nice suspenseful feeling going for it throughout the movie and is definitely worth a watch!

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Match Made in Heaven, Thanks to Food!

If you liked the first season, then you will LOVE this season. In the first season, we saw the beginning of their friendship and the beginning of Nomoto San’s sexuality.

This season focused a lot towards building their relationship along with introducing new characters. They have such a nice, fluffy, and healthy relationship that I was so eager for each episode. It’s really refreshing compared to some of the Asian GL’s that are out there. Nomoto and Kasuga have a wonderful and open relationship with one another. They do face many issues regarding their families, sexuality, and figuring out their own feelings, but they’re able to overcome them all. There is not a lot of toxic characters or moments, or any miscommunication (that doesn’t get solved asap).

While this drama does focus on Nomoto/Kasuga and their relationship with food. We are introduced to a new character who has their own struggle with food. I think this drama did an amazing job introducing new themes. We have those who enjoy cooking and eating, but there are some people who struggle eating especially around others. There’s a lot of pressure from society. We’ve gotten some Ace representation as well!

Even though the main leads do an amazing job with having good communication and being warm/kind to everyone in their lives, we do see the (sad) reality of being a same-sex couple in an Asian/conservative country. But it doesn’t stop them from moving forward in life.

Oh, if you’re looking for a drama with a lot of skinship, unfortunately we don’t get that in this season. Since this relationship is very new to them, they start out slow but I’m hoping to see more moments (if we get another season)! We did get a hug and kiss though!

I could go on and on about this drama and I wish I could watch it again for the first time again! I really hope we can get a third season! I wanna see their life of living together!!

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Intense show

I didn't watch this when it originally aired because I didn't think I would enjoy it. It's not my usual genre, and the plot didn't interest me that much. I've branched out quite a bit since it's release and then I enjoyed Seo Ye Ji so much in It's Okay to Not Be Okay that I decided to try this on a whim. And then I accidentally got my husband sucked into it as well.
This show is intense. We were both riding an anxiety rollercoaster while watching this show and practically biting our nails wanting to rescue Sang Mi ourselves. LOL!

The acting from most of the main cast was really good. Seo Ye Ji is a master at acting. Her micro-expressions are on point, and she carries this fierceness about her that is just intoxicating. Ok Taecyeon was decent, but as the main lead (Han Sang Hwan), I though he could have done better. Woo Do Hwan is another star on the rise. He's been amazing in everything I've watched him in so far, including this. Jo Jae Yoon was terrifying as Jo Wan Tae and Jo Sung Ha as the 'pastor' was not only terrifying but did crazed zealot very well also.

I think the most terrifying thing about this show was that this sort of thing can and does happen to people. To watch the cult leaders twist the Bible and use it to control, abuse, and extort from their congregants twisted my insides. To see that Sang Mi had no escape and no voice - that even her own parents who loved her were brainwashed and useless to her worked me up.
I'm glad I watched it in the end. It was very well-done and a much better drama than I was expecting. The ending was mostly satisfying, but will still give you a chill. I don't think I'd watch it again, but just because that sort of genre doesn't watch the same way after knowing the outcome. If you have trauma triggers, I'd probably avoid it, but if you enjoy dark and intense shows, this should be on your list!

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Refreshingly mature despite its breezy tone, Kekkon Shinai is a gentle treatise on marriage in modern Japan. This series approaches various issues pertaining to the subject, mostly from the female perspective. Specifically, each installment follows a formula: x concern related to marriage surfaces, the leads face conflict, they change or resolve based on the experience. There are also love lines, and while I found them fun, they didn't hit as hard as they might.

My primary problem with the story is that, while highly informative and enlightening, some portions feel like a PSA. Marriage occasionally felt like it was all anyone cared about. On the other hand, a favorite aspect was the charming use of flower language to sum up the theme of each episode. It gave the drama something beautiful and unique.

Strong veteran actors make up the principle cast. Kanno Miho delights as Chiharu, portraying her with likability to spare. She seemed true to life, making human mistakes, suffering little moments of awkwardness, experiencing joys and hurts reasonably. And Kanno-san's smile! It's contagious. Ex-Takarasienne Amami Yuki can already do no wrong in my eyes, but she shone in Kekkon Shinai. As Haruko, she embodies every bit of strength, resolution, experience, and loneliness the character represents. Her work with Kanno-san basically defines chemistry. Last (but not least) we have wonderful Tamaki Hiroshi, the perfect male lead for a drama like this. His performance as the warm-hearted florist Junpei is understated but memorable.

The chosen music generally suits the drama well. Most themes were light and fun, but there were cloying melancholy pieces too. Scenes were well orchestrated, with marked silences for dramatic effect. One vocal stands out, the fitting and catchy Kami Hikouki by Kobukuro.

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This film was very quiet and serene. I think the snowy weather represented this film very well. When snow falls overtime, it piles up and covers everything underneath, just like the feelings of the two separated people. Through the letters, they uncover their feelings that's been piled up with snow. (The title's literal translation is 'To Yoonhee')

Even though Yoonhee was the focus of the movie, her daughter, Saebom, was a scene stealer. I found her interest for film photography is a nice element to this film! I love her attention to detail. Her mom knows everything she doesn't tell, and I think that Saebom is alike. The trip that she prepared for her mom was probably the best gift! It's a heart-warming movie. I personally love the ending, character development and the cinematography.

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This miniseries is good for fans to enjoy their favorite actors

What can I say? This drama is very short and there are some misunderstandings, which they talk about and resolve at the end. But, it is very nice to see the main cast again after watching LBC. I liked how they changed the characteristics of the characters. Only Mean, who in my opinion, stands out better playing characters like Tin who are more serious and cold, or Alex (UWMA), but he also did very well, I just don't get used to seeing him play characters who are fragile and sentimental. Now, Perth gets into any character with ease, it's very natural, I'm more and more impressed with his acting ability. I liked Saint's acting, in particular, between his characters, I liked him best as Son, who is more confident compared to Pete.
Overall, it was good to see these characters acting together again here, after LBC. What I liked the most was seeing the characters of Perth (Pin) and Mean (Two) interacting together as friends, this detail was everything for me!

Let's get to the misunderstandings:
PinSon: They have a routine of eating and spending time together, even with the individual responsibilities of studying and training. Son wants to learn to play the guitar and surprise Pin by playing a song on his birthday and asks Noh to teach him. So far so good, but Son begins to be absent and no longer has time to be with Pin and rarely answers him, and makes excuses to keep him away so he doesn't find out about the surprise, but of course Pin will confront him and he will keep lying. Son cannot be honest and tell his boyfriend the truth, until Pin goes to his boyfriend's apartment and sees a note from his "teacher", and of course, taking into consideration the lies, he will get it wrong.
TwoWish: They like each other and even go out together. Wish knows that Two likes him, but he himself has a hard time being honest with his own feelings.
PhumNoh: They are already adults and have been in a relationship for a long time. They trust each other, but due to the rush and many responsibilities, Phum has no time to spend with her boyfriend, and only Noh when they have time goes to see him. Of course, seeing his boyfriend being approached and talking to "new friends", he will be upset, as he feels that he does not treat him as a priority, as he does.

Of course, these misunderstandings, can be solved with just a sincere conversation, we can also take something good out of it. So, that's the positive point of being a short Drama with only 3 episodes, these also being of short duration. It was not a story dragged out for many episodes, which is good!
Overall, this miniseries is good for fans to enjoy their favorite actors.

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Beautiful Story, Frustrating Execution — A Slow Burn That Waits Too Long

You Are My Faithful Love tells a genuinely beautiful story about fate, and at its core, it really does feel like a classic romcom. The premise is strong, the storyline is interesting, and there’s something very warm and enjoyable about the overall vibe of the show. It’s the kind of drama that should work perfectly—and in many ways, it almost does.

The cast is honestly one of its biggest strengths. The characters are lovable, the actors do a great job, and the chemistry is definitely there. I enjoyed all the dynamics, not just the main couple. The second leads were actually one of my favorite parts—they got together early, their relationship felt natural and electric, and they brought a fun energy that the main storyline sometimes lacked. The sister storyline and the best friend dynamics were also really enjoyable and added a lot of heart to the show.

But the biggest issue—and really the only major issue—is the writing.

This drama had so much potential to be amazing, but the writing just drags it down. The pacing is messy and frustrating. It starts off well, but then you hit the middle stretch and it just… stalls. By episode 15, barely anything has happened. By episode 20, you’re still waiting. For a 30-episode romantic drama, that’s a huge problem.

What makes it more frustrating is that the main conflict feels unnecessary. Both leads clearly like each other—they know they like each other—so why drag it out for over 20 episodes? It doesn’t feel like tension, it just feels repetitive. There was no real reason for the male lead to wait that long to confess, and when he finally gains the confidence, it almost feels random rather than earned.

And by the time they do get together… you’re kind of over it.

That’s honestly the biggest disappointment. After waiting for so long, you barely get to enjoy them as a couple. Instead of giving us proper romantic development, the show suddenly shifts tone—introducing more of a crime-solving/lawyer angle right when we should’ve been getting relationship payoff. It feels like a missed opportunity. I kept thinking how much better it would’ve been if they had gotten together earlier and faced everything together instead of separately. Watching them grow as a couple would’ve been far more satisfying than watching endless almost-confessions.

There are even moments that feel unnecessarily frustrating—like when you think they’re finally about to get together early on, only for a new female lead dynamic to interrupt things out of nowhere. It just adds to that “why are we still dragging this?” feeling.

That said, it’s not a bad drama—it just requires a lot of patience. It’s a very slow-burn romance, maybe too slow for its own good. But it still has charm. It’s heartwarming, it’s fun in parts, and it’s easy to like because of the characters.

Also, I really enjoyed seeing Miles Wei in this kind of role. He always does well as a CEO, but here it felt lighter and less heavy than usual, which was refreshing. He still shines, just in a more relaxed way.

For me, the show was sitting at around an 8/10 for most of its run—but the final episode, especially the wedding, bumped it up to an 8.5. It gave just enough emotional payoff to remind you why you stuck with it.

Overall, You Are My Faithful Love is a drama with great characters, strong chemistry, and a beautiful concept—but held back by frustrating pacing and writing choices. It’s comforting and heartwarming, but you’ll probably spend a good part of it wishing things had happened sooner.

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vast in scope and audacious in ambition

set in the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, this drama is a rare epic and gives many of us, particularly international viewers, some fairly deep insight into an era that we may be unfamiliar with. if you can survive the first few episodes, much like the people of that time, you may find your endurance adequately rewarded by the end – the citizens with a unified, relatively peaceful state; the viewers with a wealth of historical factoids and a solid cinematic journey.

the first three episodes are a dizzying introduction to hundreds of characters, most of whom are narrative cannon fodder, and a nauseating introduction to the horrors of the never-ending wars. by the sixth episode, it has fully settled as characters are fleshed out and from then on, it develops into a layered and engrossing story as history is made human. the final arc demands that we accept something that is antithetical to many people’s worldview: that surrender is not necessarily failure. to this day, the economic legacy of this era where the leadership was focused on trade and uplifting the state, and a series of conscious choices to submit to more powerful allies rather than suffer damages from war, is reflected in the continued success of that little southeast corner of the nation.

one thing that is both appealing and intimidating about our main lead Qian Hongchu is the speed at which he makes massive decisions from a young age. he is a rare species, reactive but with impeccable moral logic, and he is fearless in delivering rapid-fire consequences when warranted. as he ages, you can actually see the tension increasing, with each decision weighing heavier, even though he knows it is the correct course of action. this progression culminates in his final decision, painstakingly made, and the heaviness of his steps as he makes his final journey out of Wuyue, tragically alone despite being surrounded by his clan.

Bai Yu’s portrayal of the middle-aged Qian Hongchu is where I found him most striking. he creates a strange tension which at first I questioned. compared with his usual more natural-feeling characterisations, he seemed to be visibly working hard, which is not a style that I favour personally. but with time, I came to realise that this was actually impressive work. that tension is within Qian Hongchu, himself playing a character playing a character. he is visibly suppressing his more natural fisherman prince persona in favour of the king he’s now required to be. his entire life has become a high-stakes bit.

in terms of some other members of the cast, Zhu Yawen is, as always, a study in charisma. his Zhao Kuangyin is magnetic, and not once did I question how he managed to garner support in any of his endeavours, even that most defining one. Zhou Yutong as Sun Taizhen is a light and somewhat odd-feeling presence early in the drama but comes into her own in her unfailing, mature, supportive role through the years despite her lean screen time.

the supporting characters were no less solid. a flawless performance by the evergreen Ni Dahong as Hu Jinsi, a man who does not shut up about how he is 90 years old and whose tenuous hold on patience is eventually broken. and Edward Zhang was a surprising winner for me, particularly in the later years where he thoroughly embodied the older version of Li Yuanqing, a grifting black hole of morality. criticism of the ageing makeup is justified. there are distracting discrepancies at both ends of the timeline. this performance, however, is not one of them.

there was one particular incident that I found jarring in how it was handled: the infamous 燭影斧聲 (candle and axe) scene. it reminded me of watching Empire of the Sun as a young teen after reading the book in literature class – astounded that the screen could bear so little resemblance to the vision I had created in my head. I feel like I would have preferred it to be a little more oblique instead of giving us a fictionalised version of what transpired inside the room.

there was a consistent and obvious attempt to humanise the characters which deserves praise. any habitual watcher of Chinese dramas likely knows to distrust joy, but space was made for people to be fully human and capable of joyful interaction, particularly within their families, which of course provided both occasional light relief as well as heightened emotional response to their fates.

the last few episodes could have done with a little more breathing space. the narrative was forced to coalesce very rapidly at this point and it felt like we lost touch with Qian Chu's world, both his internal world in terms of his decision-making but also externally, in terms of his relationship with his children particularly. in some ways though, it was entirely appropriate. his decisions had become slower, heavier, more loaded, and he found himself more isolated. it is unsurprising that we as viewers begin to lose our grip on his character at the same time but the sense of emptiness is hard to shake.

the occasional voiceovers were probably necessary but felt like a basic history lecture inserted because no one had any bandwidth left to show and not tell. working on this type of production must have been exhausting and even viewers might find themselves mentally overextended at times; nevertheless, it still feels like a suboptimal choice for storytelling.

the score is award-worthy. for me, this is Chen Xueran's master work. everything is well-calibrated, and it's rare to watch something with this level of care in the variations, which are then deployed with such meticulousness. throughout, the music was additive rather than intrusive.

with all that said, I am torn on how to rate this series. in pure enjoyment terms, I would probably give it 8.5/10. it is a monster of a drama, a multigenerational historical epic, and does occasionally falter of course. the core things that one would normally use to make a judgment – narrative, acting, pacing, special effects, direction – are solid. but it also deserves extra credit for sheer ambition. indeed, it is a breathtakingly ambitious production.

I eventually settled on a very creditable 9/10. strongly recommended for fans of this type of series but probably a hard avoid for anyone who watches dramas purely for light entertainment and would balk at reading the Wikipedia entries of twenty different emperors.

[TW: graphic scenes of war and other violence, executions, sexual violence, cannibalism. don’t eat while watching if you are squeamish or unaccustomed to this type of historical drama.]

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Yumi's Cells ✨

Vamos lá: Yumi sempre foi sobre ela certo? A gente já tá na segunda temporada e já entendemos sobre isso. E esses dois episódios finais só nos mostrou que os relacionamentos que ela teve (Woong e Babi) transformaram e moldaram ela para o que ela se tornou no final. Uma coisa das quais amo sobre Yumi é a realidade que ela passa sabe? Tudo que ela sofreu, passou, o desemprego, seguir atrás do sonho, namoros e etc. Nunca poderia me indentificar mais com a história dela porque é real. E essa conexão que ela fala foi só por conta dos relacionamentos saudáveis que ela teve com os dois e os manteve, tem muita gente que tem amizade com o(a) ex por aí (e por incrível que pareça as pessoas acham inacreditável isso) mas também foi por eles e pelas tubulações que passou no caminho que Yumi cresceu tanto e amadureceu! Eu amei o final, ele ficou bem fechadinho e apesar de querer uma terceira temporada, eu também penso eu deixar a agenda aberta pros atores fazerem outros projetos, mas acredito que falo em nome da maioria dos telespectadores que querem ver nossa Yumi feliz certo? Com alguém que ela mereça de todo o coração. Quero ver as portas abrirem involuntariamente e que o amor entre de uma vez. Kim go Eun interpreta tão bem, sempre fui admiradora do trabalho dela, mas Yumi é realmente incrível, todo o drama e a mistura com a animação deixa tudo de forma tão única. Tantas emoções e tantos pensamentos. Foi uma segunda temporada recheada de surpresas boas e ruins mas que no final trouxe a felicidade de volta pra a pessoa que mais importa nesse drama, Yumi.

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Rewriting fate with whips and chains

When I saw the chains and whip, I knew I had to watch it.

But seriously, the tension between the leads is *chef's kiss*. The lines were so hot for my liking, and it got my toes curling most of the time like HMMM too spicy~ While the whole reason why they had a BDSM relationship is kinda... questionable... the storyline is actually nice! The whole 'FML is reborn and changes her fate' is already predictable, but it was the complexities of her relationship with the MML that made it exciting to watch. Both of them had their vulnerable moments, but I love how they are each other's damsel in distress. FML is brave and wise just to protect her loved ones, and I love her for that. I also found it interesting that even the MML had to 'rewrite' their fate despite not being reborn. And of course, the real villain and their motivations were a surprise; however, I found their quest to defeat the villain lacking. I just hoped their supposed fate of not being together was highlighted more, so the fruits of their labor would be sweeter hehe.

It's also a jiejie romance—which I super, duper enjoy—but it is not highlighted as much. Still, the dynamics of the leads were really good. I just love to see a submissive, coquettish MML who has his own dark tendencies as well, and a dominant, strong FML ready to risk it all just so her unfortunate fate won't happen again.

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Wow... where to begin. First of all, if you have never watched a historical drama before, i suggest watching this. Why? Because i think this is the type of drama almost everyone will like, and has a happy, cute ending(one of the best endings for a drama I've seen).

Second, I absolutely loved the actors in this. They were all so amazing and into their parts, that you will feel the love for the good characters, and hate the bad ones.

However, I did have some problems with this drama. Although i gave it a rating of 9, I thought some parts in this drama were a little boring. Honestly, I think they could've made this a 16 episode drama. If you feel the same way though, I advise you to not skip over parts anyway because they could explain whats going on.

You wont regret watching this! :)

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Quand le Karma fait le show...

Le karma, c’est ma justice invisible préférée !!! 😈 Dès que j’ai vu ce drama sur Netflix, je savais que j’allais craquer et le regarder juste à cause de son titre. Le concept me parle à fond 🙃

C’est un petit format sympa de 6 épisodes, donc pas besoin de s'investir des heures pour voir si le karma fait bien son boulot 💥😜

Ce qui est cool, c’est que les histoires sont toutes liées à ce fameux karma, mais chacune aborde un sujet différent 👍🏻. C’est assez malin, ça évite de tomber dans le répétitif, et t’es toujours un peu sur le qui-vive pour voir comment tout ça va finir. Chaque personnage récolte ce qu’il a semé, et ça, c’est tellement satisfaisant à chaque fois !!! 😈😅

Mais voilà, le petit hic, car ce n'est pas un perfect pour moi 🤗 c’est que les liens entre les histoires arrivent un peu tardivement... Du coup, j'ai eu cette impression de flottement pendant un moment 🤔.

La rythmique manque un peu de punch au début, et je me suis retrouvée à attendre un peu trop longtemps pour voir comment tout aller se connecter... Mais bon, les épisodes sont courts, alors ça ne traîne pas trop et ça se regarde facilement 😅

Au final, Karma est un drama qui ne demande pas trop d’investissement mais qui t'emmène quand même dans son univers de "justice karmique". C’est pas un chef-d'œuvre, mais chaque histoire trouve sa fin grâce ou à cause du karma, et ça, c’est quand même super satisfaisant 👌🏻

Si tu veux un truc rapide à regarder, c’est parfait. Ça a ses défauts, mais ça reste bien cool à voir, histoire de voir si le karma te tombe dessus… ou non ! 😎

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STORY: Essentially it's about a dude cosplaying as a woman. He ends up helping his friend trick a rich guy but then more and more decides he likes dressing as a woman. The story is kinda boring though there are some funny scenes and the outtakes at the end of each episode is funny. This isn't a tragedy, but let's just say the ending was disappointingly dull just like most of this show. The English translation, which must have been Google, was very poor. It's too bad the story wasn't better; it's not good enough to merit retranslation.

ACTING/CAST: The cast are all very good looking. Also, they do a great job. I was quite impressed with their acting. It seemed to be the one thing this show had going for it.

MUSIC: I liked the intro/outro music. The budget probably didn't allow for much else so they used a lot of royalty free classical music. There was a real nice song that was obviously Pachelbel's Cannon in C but modernized which I really liked.

REWATCH VALUE: Nah. I was really hoping for something to happen between the leads, because there is great chemistry there, but since it didn't, I won't rewatch it.

OVERALL: I was bored before watching this, during, and after.

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Realistic Glimpse of Teenagers' sexuality!

As much as unrealistic and taboo, the theme of the drama (and their literature club) is, the drama remains realistic and true both to the character portrayal of the manga and thought workings of the budding teenagers.

Panning out on vast oceanic view, the drama begins with thoughts of both the girls and their teengirls-hating teacher. Though having an aversion of "ees-eee-eks", the club members enjoy reading the literature perspective of racy, erotic books aloud in the confines of their school club room. With the utterance of the bucket-list wish by a member, the lives and ideologies of the club members gets shattered leading to a sequence of new desires, self-discovery and personal growth. An eclectic ride for the open-minded souls which can be reminiscent of one's own youthful mistakes and fears and their vanquishments.

The visual imagery from start to end, ranging from trains and tunnels to colour theory is applaud worthy. The narration is fast-paced. The titular dancing number was cute. Music was nice but forgetful. The acting felt realistic.

The upsetting aspects were the scenes were the minors throwing themselves upon the adults for sexual gratification and the ambiguous sexual nature of the Saegusa Hisashi's character (Caution!). Fear not, for nothing was shown explicitly but may be implied.

Final note, this drama is only for those who are progressive and acknowledging the mishaps of the youth and definitely not morally agreeing to them.

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Lets start of with that i will never ever watch reviews of other people anymore before i starting to watch it myself,The negative feedback made me almost decide not to watch it and im happy that i did!

Story: The story is pretty good and interesting and kept being fun to watch untill the end of the show.The maincharacters where acting good and funny at times.
If there is a negative in this show is that the story could have been more sepperated with mini storys inside with Oh Cho Rim solving some other cases with her special eye to see scents so they could save the Climax for more towards the end.It started way to soon from episode 6-7 till the end of the show which some people maybe hate,however it was still really fun to watch and i didnt really bother with it.
To sum it up it was a great ride of story and emotions.

The ending of the show is ammazing in my eyes! Since its very long and makes you feel completed when its over thats why i have to attack the negative feedback on this show and i feel that there are allot of trolls ammong them or just haters that wanna bash everything thats only a bit bad!.

Romance:This part was one of my favorites of the show since i think the couple was really cute together and made me laugh and love them at many times.

Music:The music is nice,especially the opening them of the show i loved.Also in the love monents and in the moments of action it gave a nice feeling.

Conclusion: Dont read the negativee feedback people give and watch this show! Its worth your time and its really fun!.Drama should be watched with a relaxed view and not only to try to find the minus points just becuz it became a bit draggy.The ending of the show made up for that and thats why its a great watch in overal!.If i had to give a comparrison to an other show it would be to You're all surrounded and that was a great show as well.

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