Reviews

You cannot go wrong with sugarless. It's got action, cute romance and best of all, it is HILARIOUS. Not only that, but there are some ridiculously good looking guys who are shirtless for the opening song.

Ahhhhhhhh, so amazing, just do yourself a favour and watch this. You will be happy you did, then you will be sad that you watched it because you won't have the same feeling watching it again. There is always something special about watching something really great for the first time. It kind of saddened me a bit that I won't be able to watch sugraless for the first time again. Now I know what happens in the episodes and I know how the scene plays out. I wish I could watch sugarless again for the first time.

Don't punish yourself and watch this, it's almost impossible not to watch it again.

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childish & immature, boring and much too long

The bad news first: While we see four couples on the poster, there are only two in this "First Part" and man was that draggy. And we see a glimpse of the third couple in the last two episodes. Why do we see that? Is it a cliffhanger for the "Second Part"? Will we get a "Second Part"? This is a typical university story with highschool flashbacks. If we need mid twenty to thirty old actors to do such a material is questionable especially because all the actors are capable of much more (brilliant acting I mean). They all did the best they could with the script given.

The story is quite boring, one couple had lots of misunderstandings in the past and the other couple typical nonsense BL trope of an onesided love but of course the love interest had a girlfriend at the time. There is nothing more basic than this. The only highlight are the hot kisses of the second couple (Bas & Maxky) and very good chemistry. There is also a fifth couple which is quite annoying, but the finale implied they solved their issue - but there was no confession (I thought when Noa recording the video Suer would confess which would have been a nice touch, but no of course not). It was also a bit irritating that half the cast vansished after the first eight epsides and may be seen only in some scenes in the second half if even that. Did the novel also tell their stories over two years and one couple after another or did it tell the story in parallel?

So in summary there is nothing to save the series for me. It's still not even medicore. The cringe factor (comedic overactiong, childish portrayal of "Ter", overall immature in many scenes) overshadowed anything because it was in the first episodes which made watching this series painful. The first six epsiodes dragged on for ever, with not much progress at all. I'm sure good screenwriters could have condensed the story in less then 10 episodes or made 18 episodes for all four couples. If the "Second Part" also has 17 epsiodes it will be boring as hell too. Overall I am very disappointed. While you can watch it with 2x speed or lots of skipping, it's nothing you need to watch. But due to the actors this show is massively overrated. I upranked the show because of the nice cinematogrphy and the second couple, otherwise my rating would be even lower.

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A*s movie

THIS WHOLE MOVIE IS JUST RAGE BAITING FOR ALL THE ORV NOVEL, MANHWA FANS. The whole movie is straight out disrespecting the Author and the novel itself. They should just make as "inspired by ORV" rather making it as Life Action. The novel itself is NOT suitable for Life Action. From the casting, I know I have a bad feeling for this movie. The casting most of it are just NOT. No offense for the actor and actress, I like them but they are not suitable for the characters. The more information I get from the movie , the more disappointed I felt. What do you mean using gun??? . The director using an actress fame just to get other watching this stuff. Even dokja would wake up and start dissing this movie. They would be so disappointed. MY DOKJA DID NOT SACRIFICE himself for this.

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Five cautions if you want to start/watch/continue this drama.

1. Chemistry. Shall I say…lack there off? I did not feel any couple vibes between the FL and the ML. It felt forced and contractual. The body language between the leads was awkward, and when they were ‘alone’, the ML’s body was facing the camera in most of those scenes. However, there were some nice chemistries between the ML and Qian Tu and, the FL’s bestie Dr Cheng Wei Lan and rich girl Xue Wan Wan.

2. Introduction of support characters. I was slightly confused during the introduction of key supporting characters such as William and the Qian brothers. It was as if the writers dumped a bag of toys in front of me and say “here there are!” in the first two episodes.

3. Lack of explanation on the exit of some characters. There were few characters where their departure from the story felt sudden. Imagine a character been skipping and dancing for three episodes, then suddenly they appear at a morgue. This scenario happened a few times where I went, “did I miss an episode??”

4. An air of superficiality. The themes of lifespan of human life, organ donations, illegal drug testing and guardianship, mashed with comedy, romance, and fantasy. Heavy topics but filmed in the typical fluffy C-drama romcom where everything is bright with super perky FL, cold-domineering ML, and comic relief between a few duos. Despite some fresh premises within the c-romance world, the writing felt loose and superficial in dealing with, and mashing the themes with the genre.

5. Many of the sets feel like relics from the 1980s. The ML’s and the Qian family homes, the hospital, the morgue, and some cars felt “outdated” and “heavy”. Heavy curtain with heavy cars.

I completed this drama for Qian Tu, the ML’s fate and to see how this drama wrapped up.

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Even gods and immortals have growing pains

Based upon the novel “Hidden God” (which I never read), this is a sequel to Ancient Love Poetry (with different names for the drama, which is a little confusing). There is nothing particularly groundbreaking about this Xianxia drama, but I found it to be a warm, heartfelt and timeless story of the joys and pains of growing up - learning to love, learning to sacrifice and learning to treasure what you have.

To be honest, I was a little apprehensive about starting this drama initially. I’ve watched some Xianxia in the past but not as many in the past couple of years. The beginning episodes of this one reminded me of some of the earlier Harry Potter films - lackluster CGI, very young characters and a seemingly simplistic story. However, the strong performances from the cast drew me in, and by the midway point of the drama, you realize there is much more to this tale. While the story centers on Yuanqi and Fengyin’s love story, there are also many other moving story lines involving friendship and kinship. Interwoven are some themes about breaking down the barriers that divide us, cherishing all life, and not using one’s power or position to bully the weak.

This one could have used more post-production time to smooth out the visual effects and sound mix. More importantly, the script could have used another look over to flesh out the deeper thematic elements. However, I found this an engaging, wholesome watch during my winter holidays. There is something ultimately uplifting in this drama’s storytelling despite the many years of suffering experienced by the characters.

Lastly, this is my first time watching Wang Anyu as Gujin/Yuanqi, and his non-pretentious, boyish charm really fits the character well. He and Zhao Lusi make an endearing on-screen couple that brings you both joy and tears. If only there was more of them at the end - maybe another drama? Until then, this is a great one to binge, re-watch and for me sits well with my all-time favorite Xianxia dramas such as Eternal Love (Peach Blossoms), Ashes of Love, Love and Destiny, Love and Redemption and yes, Ancient Love Poetry.

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A critical look at "Kpop Demon Hunters"

Narratively fractured and creatively barren, "Kpop Demon Hunters" reassembles genre conventions into a spectacle of commodified affect, where the promise of cosmic struggle is subsumed by performative decadence. Consider the hunters who, paralyzed by lust, pervert the moral architecture of their sacred duty and salivate over the demons they are sworn to vanquish

The movie incriminates itself through the imposition of non-platonic paradigms on male-female idol dynamics and the transfiguration of malevolent entities into archetypes of desire or victims of circumstance. Among the demons, Jinu being a salient example, many owe their damnation to a consistent disregard for the welfare of others. They have forsaken their familial bonds in pursuit of self-preservation and manipulated the truth to cultivate a favorable self-image

Rumi: "I know your story. You were a good person, and you still are"
Jinu: "I lied to you. I made a deal with Gwi-Ma to get myself out of that miserable life. I left my family alone while I slept on silk sheets in the palace with my belly full every night. I left them" (1:9:50)

Having condemned his family to destitution and starvation so that he might live in safety, Jinu endures punishment in the afterlife. Why would we mourn his suffering? No amount of retrospective remorse can rewrite history or nullify the ethical transgressions he committed

To forgive, or not to forgive? This is not a question posed to courts or the public, but a war waged behind closed doors and in the chambers of the wounded heart. Should Jinu's family, the aggrieved parties, extend forgiveness, it would be an act of courage and a near-divine suspension of justified anger. Should they withhold forgiveness, it would be a dignified reclamation of agency, a solemn tribute to what was lost, and a refusal to be coerced into premature reconciliation by societal or doctrinal demands. However, they could very well have departed to heaven. We are left with no clarity on where they stand in the matter

The story still performs a psychological sleight of hand. It acknowledges the demons' past atrocities only to repress their significance. The audience is conditioned to internalize a distorted moral hierarchy that valorizes temporary catharsis over justice, and conditional empathy over accountability. "They didn't deserve it," they would insist. The truth is, the demons in question are not misunderstood or fallen angels whose small errors brought about their condemnation

Rumi: "If this is the Honmoon I'm supposed to protect, I'm glad to see it destroyed" (1:14:42)

Rumi, who seconds ago endorsed the destruction of Honmoon, appears at the Saja Boys' concert with a newfound determination to protect it. Her abrupt shift in sentiment and subsequent behavior remain unexamined, to the detriment of character believability and emotional payoff

"Kpop Demon Hunters" suffers from a systemic breakdown across all creative domains. The characters, the dialogues, the songs. They dissipate into mediocrity

A critical divergence in reception has emerged regarding the songs, with fans asserting their qualitative superiority over the works of established Kpop groups. This position is one I do not share. Established Kpop groups, BTS, Stray Kids, ATEEZ, MAMAMOO, ITZY, FIFTY FIFTY, etc, have released songs characterized by melodic sophistication and lyrical depth. They are amenable to repeated, ritualistic listening. On the contrary, the songs from "Kpop Demon Hunters" are intolerable and unbearable to listen to beyond a single auditory exposure

Measured against the refined standards set by established Kpop groups, I believe the widespread popularity of "Kpop Demon Hunters" is disproportionate to its merits

TL;DR On a scale of 1 to 10, I would rate the movie a 2

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Will the REAL Hero Please Stand Up!

This was the first real wuxia drama (not a romance) I have ever seen and I've always been very interested in what a traditional wuxia would be like. Because every drama is marketed as one but really isn't. Other than that, I was watching primarily for Liu Yu Ning and secondarily for Meng Zi Yi as they're two people that I follow. I also knew of Joseph Zeng from previous works. As I'm not a novel reader, I can only review from a viewer's prospective.

Pros: My favorite character was Su Meng Zhen, followed closely by DFJ because both were complex albeit totally different characters. One was righteous from the moment he appeared on screen to the last breath he took while the other was very morally grey but fiercely loyal to his loved ones and went out like a champ on his own terms. I loved the brotherhood when it was formed and all those at Sunset House that surrounded them. Just about every character was complex and evolved in their own way; some took longer then others.

The story was more dark though they definitely had their happy moments. The fight scenes that were shown were pretty good though I wish there were more of them. Another fantastic point that many dramas fail to do is gradually introduce characters so the audience can understand what their purpose is. More often then not, characters are thrown in and no one remembers their names or why they're there, but here it was a very nice and even keeled introduction of each.

LC played by MZY was done fantastically; she went from sheltered flower to losing just about everything and everyone she had ever known overnight. She had to grow up fast and figure out how to survive without losing every part of her soul. She never gave up on SMZ until the end and left with him in a sense. Their love was just that strong. XY was another terrific female character; the woman wore many faces but she had a strong iron will and loyalty. Plus a much more realistic connection/chemistry with the ML than the FL. Other favorite characters were SMZ's advisor Wu Xie and other members of Sunset House, WXS' Master, the guys from the North like Big Beard, official Liu, and Martial Uncle Zhang.

The lead of the drama was a younger version of SMZ but it took him a while to grow into his own. Still, WXS did end up being one of the heroes of the series as the writers wanted him to be. For me, personally though, though he was a hero he wasn't THE hero, that title would have to go to both SMZ and DFJ as together they made the perfect hero. But that's just my personal opinion.

Now, to the man for whom I was watching this series; BCF was a great character in the beginning. He never hid his ambitions nor his true intentions. The problem was that everyone around him chose to ignore them or thought they could change him. When he whiplashed into a complete maniacal nutcase (that I'll talk about below), LYN was still very convincing as one so I cannot stick him into the cons, though I do wish it was done totally differently.

I really loved the OSTs, they were incredibly powerful especially the hard rock one and the one sung by LYN and Joseph. Costumes, sets, all of that was very detailed and beautiful. The ending was a complete surprise from what I had expected and for once I actually didn't look at spoilers before watching. But even though it wasn't a blood bath or a copout like many different sides theorized, I actually do like the way it ended; I'm glad every evildoer got their comeuppance even though some took it upon themselves to finish the job. But the flashback to all characters come and gone as the group of travelers ride through mountains and waterways was a very nice touch to the end. And even the person coming to run Sunset House, made the right kind of sense.

Cons: Let's start by saying that hair department was smoking something heavy because most of the leads and some of the support ended up looking like animal control K9s; it was a hot mess and looked absolutely horrible. Truly wish they had just kept things typical costume drama simple and didn't need to over complicate things with some avant-garde Westminster applicant do. If they wanted to show that a character had matured or changed, a simple edition of an extra braid down the back or something like that would have sufficed. It just made the person look comical and it threw the entire look off.

Whatever the hair department was smoking rubbed off on the screenwriter because she turned a great potential villain into a nut job. Now while LYN did a great job playing the nut job, he could have just as well been given an actual villain to play. That's why I solely blame the screenwriter for this unmitigated debacle that took the majority of the score away from this drama. Furthermore, instead of gradually developing him, the switch was flipped and he just lost all of his humanity. There was no rhyme or reason for how or why it happened so quickly and this was done within the last 8-10 episodes; the excuse was flimsy and didn't hold much water. Afterwards, when he was on screen be it for his bizarre as hell wedding or killing innocent people out of spite while he would cackle maniacally (that evil cackle belongs only in witches in Halloween shops, not dramas), felt like a completely different series. How can an antagonist with so much potential be so epically screwed up?

If that wasn't bad enough, we had an FL that spent more than half of the series pouting, crying, whining like a self-entitled spoiled brat. Most of her scenes up until the time she and WXS got married I had to ffw. I questioned the necessity of even having her in the series because it was about a sworn brotherhood after all. Every other woman was there as needed and powerful and this character was almost like an afterthought. Even when she was helping save WXS' life, it was like if she just kept quiet, things were a zillion times better. If she wasn't in the scene or episode, she wasn't missed in the slightest. Even in the last episode when SMZ got his wish and died, everyone was crying and it was such a raw, powerful moment and yet as soon as she opened her mouth to pitifully cry, it made one cringe because it sounded like one of those windup old dolls. Why couldn't she just cry silently like XY was doing? WXS was howling with grief as was Wu Xie and they deserved to do so. By letting us hear that baby-cry in such an overwhelming moment was a real shame.

Slimy playboy dude was a real psychopathic villain; the trouble with him was that he spent too much time talking and bragging though his depravity was evident until his dying breath just like Hannibal Lecter and his brother. It was also obvious that he was the rapist from the moment it happened. I stick him in the cons because though he ended up being the most disgusting villain that everyone hated, he still didn't have enough proper screen time to showcase who he was. It was like he had multiple personality disorder but even he didn't understand it. Also really wish the battle between him and DFJ was shown. That was a real miss by production. I understand their whole thing was to make WXS be the "hero" to kill slimy playboy dude in order to get the paper, but the majority of the damage done to him was by DFJ and we, as the audience, deserved to see it. A lot of fight scenes were either copouts or just not shown. I'm going to guess that it's because production didn't have a large budget but they could have definitely figured out a way around that since this was a wuxia after all.

Would I recommend it? For novel readers, probably not because there's a heavy diversion and not a lot of cohesion between the two. But for people who like wuxias, have never seen one, like a story of brotherhood that goes wrong, I would. This was my most anticipated drama of the year and though it had a lot of pitfalls and massive shortcomings, I still enjoyed it very much and therefore have no regrets.

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My Love from Another Star is by far the biggest drama I’ve seen this year. You guys know how I don’t succumb to what’s current in dramaland today, right? I know how popular My Love from Another Star is in Korea and the craze it set off in nearby Asian countries but I never felt watching while everyone is going gaga over it. I started seeing this weeks after it wrap up and I should have finished this weeks ago, however, I did something bad that overshadowed my overall love for the series. Yes, as always I can’t help it, I skipped to episode 21 even if I only have 4 episodes left, and what I found out made me put this off for some time because I felt I was cheated even though I cheated first by sneaking a peek of how it would end.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying I wasted 20+ hours or so of my life watching this, it’s a good drama. I’ll get to what bothered me later on. My Love from Another Star is new to my palate. I don’t always watch aliens as protagonist in romantic plots, not in K-dramas. I wondered how the writers would make it work. I always find the first three episodes crucial as that will be my basis if I’m to drop the series or not. Surprisingly, I never felt like counting the episodes I’m in because the first 6 to 8 episodes flew by like a whirlwind. It’s that good. The series if full of heart, energy, combined with a good sense of humor and bits of uncertainties of what the future lies made this interesting and gripping from start to finish (just don’t cheat like what I did, haha!)

At first the comedy came a little strong for my liking as I’m not used to bigheaded, flamboyant heroines. Although knowing Cheong Song Yi’s character as the story progress made me love her and understand why her character has to be that way in the beginning. She is the heart of the drama. I admire her confidence even if at times she tends to be so obstinate its grating on my nerves. I could go on and on of how annoying she can get but she’s someone who knows what she wants, what she has to do to get it, when to give up, when to fight, when to love herself and when to be selfless. Jun Ji Hyun did a remarkable job portraying Song Yi. I’ve only seen her in My Sassy Girl and I can’t even say if I remember how she acted in that film. In YWCFTS she’s superb. I like actresses who know how to show real emotions without relying too much on the cinematography, the music, and the angular shots to make their scenes effective. This drama proves that she can act and that she’s good at it.

On the other hand, Do Min Joon is the face of the series. Come on, admit it. He is one hell of a hot leading man. There is something in his character that is so swoon worthy I can’t even point it out or maybe I’m just so smitten with him I don’t want to think and I’ll just look at him without blinking an eye for hours. All I can say is he is extraterrestrial-ly charming. *sighs with dreamy eyes* Kim Soo Hyun killed me with his oozing appeal. I first seen him in Dream High, though I find him so boy next door in that drama and he look so young and innocent. The years had been good for him and he proved that he can be the next big thing in Korea. I know he is a good actor but his performance in YWCFTS is amazing.

The chemistry of the leads also played a big part of why their tandem worked. We can all agree that they look good together, yes? Let’s also add that they have a marvelous supporting cast. The cinematography and OSTs are also great. One of my favorite scenes/places in the drama is Min Joon’s library. I was (and still) drooling with envy. The bookish junkie in me wants to have that library! I can spend hours, no, days in that place without getting bored! Having Kim Soo Hyun with me is a bonus. Although if it came to a point that I have to choose between Soo Hyun and the library, the latter would win a hundred times over. What? I’m a bookwhore through and through. Books will win by default.

I enjoyed 90% of My Love from Another Star that I’m almost willing to overlook some of the plot holes but the ending didn’t sit well to my romantic-comedy bubble and that was somehow a deal breaker. I know it’s stupid asking for a happy-ever after to a drama where science fiction plays a big part. It was actually the most logical ending for the drama but I just felt it was so unsatisfying. What happens after that? I don’t want to spoil you with my rants, let’s only say that it may have worked for everyone but I am one of the minority that has reservations with the ending. The villain arc of the drama was also given so much attention that they left the mystery of Do Min Joon’s backstory unanswered. We didn’t know much of where he really came from, what’s the deal with his planet and so on. We knew that he is an alien, he came from another star, he has to go back after 400 years on earth if not he will die and that’s it. Knowing these things would have helped us understand Do Min Joon’s world.

In a nutshell, My Love from the Star is fun to watch. It has the formula of making it big and it did. Did I mention that it has one of the best kissing scenes I’ve seen this year? Go on, watch it!

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No story... just a well made soft porn...

There is not much to say about this...

The two special episodes don't have a worthwile story, there is just forced drama. At least compared to the series there are no violent scenes, there is consent and the couple talks. So this couple just works... also with their chemistry together.

Production quality went above and beyond, but everything else was just a soft porn with some interludes. Beautiful pictures, lot's of NC scenes - a dream come true for all the fangirls out there. So, if you liked the "My Stubborn" series you will definitively like this. But my best friends was the +10s skip button. 🤣

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There is something about this drama that drew me in. The story isn't anything new, but it isn't typical either. The main character's optimistic struggle to find his dream and keep his love was somehow touching. It is refreshing to see the "little guys" win a few during this drama even with the "big guys" trying to push them down. The romance was sweet in that they enjoy each other. It isn't some weak minded girl falling for a jerk. The characters are smart. I liked even the ones that I'm probably not suppose to like (ex-girlfriend and second male lead).

I think ALL of the actors were enjoyable and some absolutely charming. Jin Goo as Lee Tae Baek played his character with just the right amount of kindness and strength proving that you don't have to be a jerk to be a romantic male lead. My favorite actor is Ko Chang Seok as Ma Jin Ga. His character was just so sweet, caring, and funny. The women are smart and beautiful. Smart female leads are the best. Park Ha Sun as Ji Yoon depicted her identity struggle really well.

The music was good.

Eventually I can see myself watching this again.

If you like dramas were the underdog succeeds, then this is one you should watch.

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Visually stunning, Tragically beautiful.... Unsatisfying ending

If you a fan of mystery thrillers, then this is a must watch. It's got a similar feel to "13 years of Dust", "Bad Kids", "The Pavillion" so on....

Well directed & perfect casting! The synopsis already explains what the story is about, so I won't recap that.

What I loved:
Entire Cast:
1. Young Nan Ya matches the mature Nan Ya. I loved that they didn't use the same actress trying to play down. Obviously, you can't really fake youth and all that collagen. Young Na Ya had the innocence slowly lost.
Mature Na Ya is played by Tong Yao who to me has a 70% resemblance to Zhang Zi Yi's facial features, but she definitely has her unique beauty and acting style. Physically, the natural makeup, lighting, camera works captured her best angles & every curve. She's definitely got that mature beauty that younger boys can fantasize about. Acting, I think she nailed the character Nan Ya perfectly.
2. Zhang Xin Cheng playing Zhuo Luo. He's one of the few talented actors that can play young mature characters that tend to internalize all emotions and explode one day.
3. Ye Zu Xin playing the cop that returned to the town. Nan Ya was his first love and there are definitely regrets in his gaze.

Actual Story: Everyone is intertwined. There are secrets, jealously, lies, betrayal, love, lust, obsession, every human emotion possible. However, it's not for the faint of heart as there are some serious disturbing subjects.

Set/lighting/makeup/production quality: Visually stunning. The small-town feel is uniquely beautiful.
Poetry & Music: It's very artistic. The music elevates every emotional scene.

Decent pacing until ep 14 then felt slow. Ending...... Hate it....... A moment of "Did I just spent 28 x 53 min episodes for this kind of ending? ...... Tragic on its own.

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More disappointing as expected and as overrated as expected

Cherry Magic (Thai) was bad enough, but it can get worse with this remake.
I don't get the forced comedy with it's stupid soundeffects and the over-acting. This series has the charm of a bulldozer. The most annoying thing was the overall childish acting in most scenes. There are only some scenes where you can think, this could have been a good show, but sadly it wasn't.

I don't need to compare to the japanese "original" verison, because on it's own merrit this show is not good, but fangirls are fangirls and they overrate as hell because of two actors they like. I also bet my review will be downrated, as it happened with Cherry Magic (Thai), but I could not care less.

Objectively this show is not good, the characters are mostly one-dimensional and childish. The actors had no script to work with which couldn't challenge them in their acting. Besides that, also the chemistry between the MLs was nothing to write home about. "My School President" had a good story, good acting, good chemistry and an grandious OST and all the other things a good BL should have. This series had only lot's of advertisments up your face (again). I don't get it, why they need to do that. Are the actors that expensive or are japanese rights much more expensive compared to thai novels? Even compared to Cherry Magic (Thai) the production quality was not top notch, so I guess it's just maximizing profits.

Other reviews will depict the show in more detail but I'm too lazy for that. It was a grand disappointment and I would wish the fangirls would objectively rate such shows, because as long it is upvoted that high, such crap will be produced again which is sad to the whole industry and unnecessarily lowers the quality of such shows. You should skip it and watch "Only Boo" instead which is not brilliant on the acting but makes up with cuteness and also a very good OST.

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