Reviews

Delightful and entertaining.

This is becoming my favourite series to watch in the evenings. I normally only watch a series after all episodes have been aired, but i don't want to wait.
I really like the ML and FL i think they have good chemistry together. There is intrigue, investigation, enough danger to make things interesting.
The story so far is good, but i have only watched 21 episodes so far.
since episode 16 they have switched the translation i think to a machine, and it really doesn't work. the first 16 made sense when reading the subtitles but on occasions now it is difficult to piece together the conversations, so i hope they go back to the same team who translated in the beginning.
i will update when i have finished watching all the series.
Ok i have finished watching and it was worth the wait. It did not disappoint. It was delightfully entertaining. I could pick some holes in the story that is why i rated it for me a 9 however it was overall worth watching. The music seemed to fit quite well, cinematography was good. the fight scenes were well crafted. what's not to enjoy. many thanks to the crew and cast for such an excellent series.

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watch it, you won’t regret it !!!

This has to be one of the best dramas I’ve ever watched. The actors did such a great job portraying their roles. I’m one of those people who don’t mind clichés, but sometimes I just need something “new” and different, you know ? Well, Hidden Love didn’t disappoint. The plot is unique, so bonus points for that. Just a heads-up for those who don’t like the age-gap trope : the ML was 19 when he first met the FL, who was 14 at the time, but it’s important to note that they DID NOT have any sexual/romantic interactions until much later in the show. The FL was of legal age when the ML started developing feelings for her. Personally, it didn’t bother me much, but I get why some people might find it icky.

Now I’d like to talk about the main characters a bit.

Sang Zhi (FL) : She’s childish at the beginning of the show, but I promise it’ll get better (they skip 2 years foward to when she’s 19 in 8 ep, so dw). She’s quite shy and introverted, which isn’t much of a problem, not every fl has to be badass or wtv, but even after she gets with the ml, she has issues with intimacy and i’m not even talking about sex, just simple things like kissing. I found that a little annoying, because Imagine getting the man of your dreams, who’s not only hot af, but also respectful and considerate and not wanting to kiss him. Even when she did it, it felt kinda forced, like girl, kiss him like you mean it 😭 Aside from that, I liked her character and the way she stood up for others and herself.


Jia Xu (ML) : He’s the most considerate ML I’ve ever seen in a drama, he literally pays attention to her every little move. He’s too good of a man to be realistic tbh. Their relationship is healthy, no unnecessary fights or arguments, just pure love. He’s like a fatherly figure to Sang Zhi, but not like in a weird way, it’s just the way he cares for her so much and always puts her first.


Overall, I loved this drama and I’ll never stop recommending it :)

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The love bond between two lovers manifests in opposite ways, in the way they show to each other. It seems to each other, the other didn't care at all. its the Korean version of the Ali Macgraw/Ryan O Neal Love Story with a back to the past and future twists. Yet it has managed to retain a flavour on its own. I have watched it twice and each time it gives me a different feeling. Though sad, I'm hopeful true love will withstand test of time. If you are a fan of the JJangs, their chemistry shines again here, pls don't get upset bcos this love story is different. After this, I hope they will continue to work together.

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Such a Masterpiece!!

I haven’t watched such a good historical drama for a long time after Nirvana in Fire. I feel like I would have regretted if I didn’t watch it. Here are the reasons why I like Story of Ming Lan

1. Strong Chemistry
Though I know that Feng Xiao Feng and Zhao Liying are husband and wife in real life , I never thought that they would have such strong Chemistry. I love to see Gu Tingye teasing Ming Lan everytime.This strong chemistry between the two main leads is what took me from the beginning to the end.

2.Casts
As a C-drama addict, I saw so many familiar faces in this drama. Like Zhu Yilong from Guardians, Xiao Tao (Wang Zi Wei) from A Love so Beautiful, Gu Si Ye from Battle of Changsha and Surgeons, the new emperor from Nirvana in Fire and even Gu Tingye’s step-mom is from Surgeons. All of these supporting casts portray their characters very beautifully.

3.Cinematography
If u love the best cinematography, this is the right drama for you.The costumes and manors are very beautiful, Action scenes are done very carefully, and even the polo scenes are done with less CGI. Among the series I have watched ,Story of Ming lan is said to be the one of the few dramas with such great cinematography.

4.Strong Female Lead
I have always been a fan of Strong Female Lead and Ming Lan is one of them. Ming Lan is intelligent but had to hide her talents in order to survive. She is normally calm and pleasant but she will attack fiercely when one of her friend faces injustice. Zhao Liying portrays the character of Shen Ming Lan amazingly and as a fan of Zhao Liying, I would say that this is probably her best work since her debut.

5.Director
I was impressed with Zhang Kai Zhou in Battle of Changsha, Ode to Joy 2 and Love Me if You Dare, he did even a better work in Story of Ming Lan.

6.Strong Plot
A strong, tight- woven plot is everything that matters in a drama. This drama not only has a strong but also realistic plot. Unlike other typical dramas, the two leads didn’t fall in love at first sight. I love that their affections for each other grow with time, Ming Lan firstly calls Gu Tingye as second uncle, then Husband and Er Lang. There are also many funny scenes, like Tingye doing the make up on Ming Lan’s face.

7.Moral lessons
We want to gain something after watching a drama,right? I liked a quote that Ming Lan said “Being Moral is in itself a privilege”. She also taught us to be strong, brave and love your family.

8.Music and Rewatch value
I notice only one song by Yisa Yu and Hu Xia but it is not bad.I’d definitely rewatch after some time and enjoy it again.

Most importantly, you need to have patience while watching Story of Ming Lan. This is not a usual drama that will reach climax after 6 or 7 episodes and the character build-up indeed takes some time, but never drop this drama halfway, or you would definitely regret.

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What a fantastic drama! It was definitely of of the best I've watched, not one of my ultimate favorite but still it was really well done.
From the not predictable story which is really rare to do with k-dramas because you generally always know how it's going to end; to the superb acting done by everyone, especially Kim Myung Min (he will for me be one of the best male performance in drama this year with Lee Sun Kyun and Ji Jin Hee). Not to forget the OST that mixed really well with all the scenes!
I don't give it a 10 because this drama had a little problem, like some people said in the comments, there was a little disappointment with one of the character story turn, he was quite important in the beginning because we saw him quite often but after we didn't saw him at all, so I was like why did they introduce this guy to us if at the end they don't even matter?? (people who watched it will know about who I'm talking).
I don't think everyone can like that kind of drama because a lot of people prefer to watch basic rom-com with young actors most of the time (and ofc I like it too), but I wish people would watch it, not many did thought it was really really good! If you like family, romance, fantasy and funny-tragedy (I don't know if this exist) you will really like it.

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Cinematic, beautiful, and a realistic story

I'm surprised that the rating for this isn't as high as it should be. The story was really shot beautifully and the cast was amazing. There was something really special about this drama that kept me going. The storytelling is really realistic and deep dives into the relationship of two best friends that evolves as they meet new people in their life. It's not your typical romance, more so its a coming of age that highlights the society's issues around LGBT relationships, families, and so on. This one was really beautiful and special to me and I'm really glad I watched it.

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I really enjoyed the concept of this show. It reminded me a lot of Side By Side With You on many occasions. Though Our Glamorous Time was not as intense as Side By Side With You. I really enjoyed that there were no obnoxious love triangles.
The beginning and end of this show feel disconnected. The first half of this show was almost entirely focused on Lin Qian as the main character, but the at some point it felt like her story line became second to all the other story lines they tried to introduce with many of the secondary, and even tertiary, characters. The second half og the drama felt like a handful of smaller story lines with no common direction. Story wise I think that it started strongly. Part of the initial story kind of surrounded Lin Qian trying to figure out who saved her. I actually think that this issue, among other initial incidents, was resolved too soon, causing the rest of the episodes to kind of branch off into less interesting stories. I also feel the issue of Li Zhi Cheng’s brother was glossed over a little bit. Like, it could have been a little bit more prominent and deeper than it was.
I did enjoy the fact that this drama avoided a few overused tropes. -There were no extenuating love triangles. -No extremely overbearing parents (mostly, Li Zhi Cheng’s father could be a little much sometimes but in more reasonable ways.) - I really loved Lin Qian’s relationship with her brother. He is super protective of her. Despite having his own opinions of what would be best for Lin Qian’s life, he is generally accepting and respective of her own decisions. They argue and butt heads but just about always make up.
The best part of this show: there are a lot of of fluffy romantic scenes between main and secondary characters respectively. Many of the characters have really great chemistry.
There are two characters towards the end of the show that show up a lot that are not Chinese. I am pretty sure that, like most Chinese shows, this show was dubbed over. But I really have to give it to the two actors and who ever did their voice dubs because I hardly found times were the voices and the movements on their faces did not match. They did a really good job. The voices also fit the characters nicely.

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Not your cliche fairytale dramas

The drama from the start has been chaotic and funny but at the same time does well with the emotional moments too. The chemistry between the leads isn't fiery and passionate but kept subtle and fluffy. There are many funny moments and twists in every episode but it never overpowers the core of the story. The drama isn't your fairytale ones but a mature approach to such topics.

The dynamics between the family be it that of husband - wife or father- daughter are complicated because of their painful past and struggles. Every character be it the family members or other characters have their own inner struggles that slowly comes out and is healed with the help of their loved ones.

Ji Jin Hee nailed it with his role as Mu Jin. Till now I have only seen him in serious roles but he knows how to pull off both emotional and funny moments well. Kim Jee Soo as a mother and wife showed her conflicting emotions really well. Na Eun and Min Ho too have done good with their part, they are not great but not bad too.

It is one good drama if you are looking for something more than the average cute fluffy dramas that are going on right now.

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Revenge First, Love Later (Actually… Revenge Always)

Oki, where to start with this.

First of all: Yu Xuan Chen as the ML? Never in doubt. The man showed up, delivered, and suffered beautifully.
This is my third project with this FL and I’m officially sold—she did great. Together they’re painfully good-looking, very stand in dramatic lighting while secrets loom energy.

Now the dynamic, because it’s deliciously unbalanced. I love a yearning ML, and this man is down bad. Meanwhile, the FL has exactly one brain cell and it is labeled REVENGE, so she keeps throwing him under the bus like it’s an Olympic sport. He never catches a break. And yet—he loves her unconditionally. Through lies, schemes, and emotional hit-and-runs. Tragic. Beautiful. I sighed loudly.

The chemistry is there, but the spice is low—and that fits. This was never about flirty fireworks. It’s about pain, loyalty, and emotional suffering with good lighting. Even the kisses reflect that: not awkward, just… not exactly scorching either.

Pacing-wise, ep.1–20 work well, especially since the ML figures out her real identity early. Immediate tension upgrade, no clueless era. Love that.
But around ep.21/22 the story starts dragging. Once the big reveals are out, the conflict stops escalating and just… loops. This did not need to be 30 episodes. Airing viewers suffered. Bingers might survive.

One thing that really doesn’t help the pacing is the excessive use of flashbacks. For a drama with already short episodes, it leans on them far too often, sometimes in very questionable moments—yes, even during intimate scenes. Nothing kills momentum quite like cutting away mid-emotion to replay something we’ve already seen.

Of course, the classic mini-drama tropes are present: revenge/rebirth, childhood connection, ML who’s loved her forever while hurting her to protect her, etc. The last two tropes need a decade-long nap because if I never see them again, it would still be too soon. Budget limitations are very visible, but I’m forgiving with mini dramas—they tend to be bolder, messier, and more fun than full-length dramas that play it safe.

Yes, most side characters are underdeveloped and comically decorative, but this is a short, punchy watch—not a character study dissertation. It knows what it is and commits.

Final thoughts: I was really into this for the first two-thirds. Then it becomes a dragged, messy spiral that makes you mad because the FL clearly outclasses the villains. Add the ML into the mix and the bad guys should’ve been DONE—yet we keep the charade going for no reason. As a revenge story, not very satisfying.

Still messy, still dramatic, still enjoyable in parts, and yes, a happy ending for the leads :)
Consume at your own risk 😉

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Indigo no Yoru is my all time favorite drama <3

Most people are unfamiliar with the type of drama. It's a midday drama, so it's targeted towards housewives and stay-at-home-moms. It's a drama that touches on a variety of themes such as marriage, family-life, homosexuality, etc. Not only is it a moving drama, but it is also funny and entertaining. The best part is the cast though. Moriguchi Yoko is a powerful actress who leads the rest of the cast. Along with Kato Kazuki, who as usual is his sexy self. Then there are a variety of fun actors like Takagi Shinpei and Takagi Manpei, Mayame Akihiro, Amano Kosei, Wada Masato, and Kaji Masaki. This is a drama that I would recommend to anyone who is looking for something different and fun, but with lots of plot twists and a detective-style feel. Oh, and bonus, it takes place at a host club. How much better can it get?

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Nice cast, but messy series and so many plot holes

First, I really like the Pit Babe cast and I watched all the Boys’ Journey episodes. So it’s sad to see them being so underutilized in a terrible story. The show feels rushed, and it gets worse in the second half of the season. A lot of development happens off screen and there’s no intention of explaining things. I hope the cast will be utilized better in future projects, specially with some changes in “partners”. Nut and Sailub have so much chemistry, and Ping and Garfield was a great surprise in their scenes.
Now, let’s check on some loose threads:
North and Sonic: Are they a couple? Are they just friends? The series had no interest in trying to answer that because they needed another scene to try to create chemistry for Alan and Jeff. It’s wasted time because that chemistry never materialized.
Babe’s dad: Why? There’s no payoff with him being alive. How did he end up being part of the “cure” team? How did Jeff get to know him and the doctor that helped to fake Charlie’s death? I feel like that was a major plot hole. He just briefly mentions knowing them.
Pete/Kenta/Way: Does Pete like Kenta back? Did Pete like Way or just cared/was worried for him?
Guns that are not used: Why does Tony and his team not kill people?! Tony’s plans would’ve all worked out if he just shot people. Every single plan from Team Babe goes wrong and they end up with guns pointed at them, but the bad guys never shoot. That makes zero sense! We saw Tony killing a child with a sword in the last episode, he definitely would give the ok to just kill random people, like Alan, Kim, North and Sonic.
Also, why would Tony let Kim go?! Unless it was Kenta who helped him escape… but that’s doesn’t get mentioned.
All the kids from the Foundation: what happens to the kids? Did they get rescued? What about the kids that were already sold?

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Why stop at second chances?

A light but enjoyable watch for me. Even though it was 40 minutes per episode like a regular drama, it felt like a web drama production. The plot moved at a good pace, and the issues were resolved quickly. Some silliness here and there but overall, the humor was good. It did come across as a lower-budget drama and the sets and props were not impressive. However, what the show lacked in budget, it made up with good fight scenes and lovely outfits, particularly notable in the dresses, accessories and hair-styles for the FL.

The story was interesting, and refreshingly unique. There has been a lot of "second chances" dramas lately but this one went beyond that with the opportunities to "do-over" in multiple episodes.

The romance was sweet and the leads looked good together, with the chemistry between them adding to the appeal. I liked the leads - both seemed pretty new and could certainly use more experience improving their acting. However, the potential is there, and they already have a good start with their good looks and charisma. Hankiz Omar is gorgeous, and Yan Xu Jia is attractive even though I think he could have been styled better, especially his wig.

The OST was nice, my favorite was the romantic song (不宣 - Bù Xuān: Unannounced by 司鴻博 - Si Hongbo) that came on during the poignant scenes between the leads.

The supporting cast felt mostly amateurish and certain characters were over-the-top annoying for the most part. However, the ending was good, wrapping things up, showing character development for most. Given how fast-paced the show was, the ending felt appropriate rather than rushed.

Overall, I would recommend this if you are looking for a light-hearted and engaging diversion.

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WANNA BE / HELLO MODEL: Simple yet deep, straightforward, fast paced mature romance drama.

"Wanna Be / Hello Model" is a hidden yet beautiful drama that explores the complexities of the modeling industry through the eyes of its compelling characters. The story revolves around a famous supermodel, portrayed by Cici Wang, who finds herself in a life-altering accident that forces her into a three-year hiatus. Upon her return, she grapples with PTSD while meeting a witty and ambitious fishmonger, played by Daddi Tang, who is also facing the challenges of a hereditary eye disease. Their paths intertwine in unexpected ways, leading to a journey of self-discovery and resilience.

The storytelling is refreshingly straightforward yet deeply engaging, ensuring that there are no dull moments.

Each character is richly developed, with even the side characters adding their own unique charm to the narrative.

The female lead, portrayed by Cici Wang, is a captivating blend of intelligence, beauty, and complexity. Initially cold and distant, her character gradually reveals layers of vulnerability and warmth as the series unfolds. She possesses a delightful mix of laid-back charm and fierce savagery when necessary, making her both relatable and intriguing. Her work ethic shines through, and I can't help but admire her stunning wardrobe—her wavy long hair and chic outfits perfectly reflect her profession as a model.

On the other hand, the male lead, played by Daddi Tang (Tang Xiao Tian), is equally compelling. He's witty, ambitious, and refreshingly straightforward, never one to be taken for a fool. His ability to stand up for himself, even in front of the female lead, adds depth to his character. With his kindness and cuteness, you'll find yourself rooting for him throughout the series. Their dynamic is fascinating, as their personalities complement each other; they share similarities yet maintain distinct differences, creating a captivating on-screen chemistry.

The romance between the leads is definitely my favorite aspect of the show, just as I anticipated. Their relationship is beautifully mature, characterized by a directness in expressing their feelings rather than dancing around them. Initially, they start off as bickering enemies, providing plenty of cute banter and humorous moments as they constantly challenge each other. As the story progresses, they transition into mutual friends and colleagues who support one another in their professional lives.

The development of their romantic attraction is natural and engaging, featuring flirty moments that gradually evolve into a deep connection. Their chemistry is electric, filled with tension and those delightful butterflies that make every scene captivating. What stands out is the mutual effort they both invest in the relationship; it’s refreshing to see both characters looking out for each other and providing support without one feeling more invested than the other. This dynamic makes their journey all the more rewarding to watch. So far, they are undoubtedly my favorite couple this year!

The acting is impressive, and I must say, it’s my fourth drama featuring Tang Xiao Tian, and the second where he takes on the male lead role. I sincerely hope he lands more lead roles in romance dramas because he truly excels in them. His eye acting is phenomenal! As for Cici Wang, I'm definitely going to keep an eye on her future projects; she’s really talented.

In summary, this drama checks all my boxes: it offers a simple yet profound narrative, straightforward and fast-paced storytelling, a natural buildup of romance, interesting and complex characters, and great sizzling chemistry between the leads. The acting is top-notch, and the original soundtrack is beautiful. Plus, with each episode being only 30 minutes long, it perfectly caters to my attention span. I highly recommend this drama if you're looking for a simple yet beautiful romance story!

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