Reviews

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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A Beautiful Story of Healing Hidden Beneath Revenge

Going into The First Jasmine, I expected a gentle healing drama with mature romance, quiet emotions, and soft aesthetics. It definitely delivered those vibes—but what surprised me was how psychologically rich the story turned out to be. Beneath its elegant cinematography and slow-burn romance lies a tale of trauma, revenge, healing, and emotional resilience.

A'Li is one of the strongest female leads I've seen this year. Her painful past, fragile mental state, and gradual journey toward healing felt incredibly layered. Instead of magically recovering overnight, her wounds remained a part of her, making every small step forward feel meaningful. On the other hand, A'Yao wasn't just someone she healed physically by treating his injured leg—he became the person who quietly stayed by her side, offering patience, understanding, and unwavering companionship. Their relationship wasn't built on grand romantic gestures but on trust, mutual healing, and silent support, which made it even more beautiful.

A'Ying's story - She deserved so much better. I really wish she focused on her becoming independent rather than defining her happiness through mo jingli. She had so much potential to grow into her own person.

And then there's Mo Jingli. Oh, Mo Jingli... He gave me serious Qi Min vibes. Unlike Qi Min, though, he wasn't outright toxic. Yes, after marrying Ye Ying, he remained obsessed with Ye Li and neglected his wife, which was undeniably frustrating. But his character wasn't one-dimensional. His ambitions, regrets, and internal conflicts made him surprisingly compelling, even when I disagreed with his choices.

Princess Lingyun deserved a happier ending too. Her story was tragic in a way that lingered long after it ended. I can only hope that in another lifetime, she and Feng Zhiyao finally get the peaceful life they were denied.

Of course, I can't finish this review without mentioning Bai Lu and Cheng Li. Their chemistry never relied on excessive romance—it thrived through subtle glances, quiet conversations, and an unspoken understanding that made every shared scene feel intimate. The cinematography, costume design, and soundtrack elevated the emotional atmosphere, creating a drama that felt both visually stunning and emotionally immersive.

The First Jasmine isn't just a revenge story or a romance. It's a story about broken people finding reasons to keep living, choosing trust over isolation, and discovering that healing doesn't erase the past—it teaches you how to live with it.

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So this was supposed to be a mixture of romance, comedy and horror. But they failed to mention what a tear-jerker it was! I was bawling my eyes out practically in every episode, whether to sympathize with the ghosts or Gong Shil.

Acting wise the drama was pretty good. I enjoyed everyone's parts. But quite surprisingly I enjoyed Little Sun's part the most! She was so funny at times, even though she could be a little annoying. But I was really happy with her ending. I liked the main couple too. But somewhere it felt like So Ji Sub's character was being made to act like Dokko Jin (The Greatest Love) and that sort of ticked me a bit. Don't get me wrong - I love So Ji Sub! I'm sorry I love you (starring him) was the first drama I ever watched and it's like First Love, you can never forget it. It's just that Dokko Jin is EPIC. Every line coming outof his mouth is classic and no one can pull that kind of role better than Cha Seung Won. So somewhere along the way I couldn't stop myself from making comparisons.

And not just So Ji Sub's character, I was also left making comparisons in a lot of other aspects. Like how The Greatest Love was funnier and had a sweeter ending. I think this is the only reason I'm giving this drama 9s. Because in my eyes it can't surpass The Greatest Love.

But it does surpass it in one aspect. Music. I just love the entire OST on this drama. In fact, if you ask me, this drama has the best OST so far this year. The songs made it top 10 billboard too and it' fully deserved.

The rewatch value is a bit low for me, because I won't really come back for any funny scenes. I might come back for a few ghost stories that were super touching. I might come back for Kang Woo and little sun. And the aunt and her awesome husband! But that's all for me.

Overall this is a good drama. Much, much better than Big, but I think other Hong sister dramas are funnier. Nonetheless this drama deserves a good average, despite being a tad bit overrated.

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I am not the biggest fan of sageuk dramas, but Maids is one of the best dramas I have ever seen. I love the detail of the costumes. I noticed at the end In Yub has the flowers of Sa Wol on her lapel which is a nice subtle touch. I experienced every emotion from crying to angry to happy. Sometimes I would find myself gripping my hands in anger and other times I would find myself absentmindedly smiling. Dramas that make me emotional are some of my favorites. The perspective of the writing is unique. I admit at first I didn't like any of the characters and almost dropped the drama. However, there is great believable character development that led me to understand and even like some of the characters (especially the female lead). The best part is the strength of the female lead character. She learns a lot about life and herself and we get to watch the journey. There are some politics, but there aren't numerous scenes of old people setting around talking about whatever scheme they will come up with next. The romance is really nice and I think they all had chemistry. I even like the ending. It made since to me that she would make the choice that she made. After all she just went through quite a lot and needed some peace.

The acting is really good in this. My favorite character is Lee Cho Hee's Sa Wol. She is a strong, loyal friend that is also sweet and caring. Jung Yoo Mi was perfect as In Yub. After watching several actresses lately with stone faces or overacting, it was nice to see an actress get it right. She shows her emotions with out it being obviously acting and it is believable. I ended up liking her character quite a bit. I have never seen Oh Ji Ho before. I think he did a good job as Moo Myeong. I think it is hard to be a quiet but emotional character, but Oh Ji Ho pulled it off well. Poor Kim Eun Gi. Kim Dong Wook portrayed the character's sweet and cold sides very well. I felt sorry for this character the most. He faced everything even his own short comings. It must have been hard for him. The other actors are good too.

There is really good music in this even if it doesn't have words.

I won't rewatch this, but it is rewatchable.

I recommend this drama to everyone no matter what genre you prefer. It is really good.

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Epic love story that never really was…

As I watched the story of “Thousand Years for You” unfold, I was looking forward to an epic love story that broke barriers and transcended time. Sadly, the show failed to deliver on the romance, and the ending left me feeling empty in that aspect.

It is not as though the show lost its focus midway. From beginning to end, the story was about the love journey initially between a powerful saintess, Yun Xi, from the spirit clan and a valiant mortal general Lu Yan. Then later between Yun Xi’s doppelgänger, Deng Deng and Lu Yan, who waited 3000 years for Yun Xi.

Unfortunately, the pairing of Li Qin as Yun Xi/Deng Deng and Ren Jia Lun as Lu Yan fell flat for me. No matter how good they looked together, I just could not get the feels from them, and the chemistry was seriously lacking. They were definitely a visual treat, but I enjoyed the show more by seeing them as mystery-solving partners instead of a couple.

For me, the show would have fared better if they had removed the romance aspect and focused on the mystery and adventures. A xianxia set in the Republican era was interesting enough, and the different storylines were refreshing. It was entertaining to watch our sleuthing duo and their sidekicks battle the evil elements of the spirit clan. Most of the other characters, especially the second couple, helped bring this drama to life; they were all likable individuals in their own right.

The show was a pretty well-balanced emotional roller coaster of emotions, switching between humor, suspense, and melodrama. That said, the script did need to be polished, and there were plot holes and dialogue that should have been tighter.

I loved the details put into the costumes. One could tell that a lot of thought was put into the styles of the characters. Deng Deng often wore masculine clothing, but there were touches of femininity. The outfits for Lu Yan were chic and perfectly tailored. They highlighted Ren Jia Lun’s good looks so well. I also appreciate the color palettes that also matched the characters perfectly.

The best part for me was the excellent OST, and the songs were mainly the ingredient that got me tearing up. The CGI was also well-done, and the fight scenes were well-executed, except for some scenes that ended up hilarious instead.

Acting-wise, I was impressed by Li Qin, who delivered the emotional scenes perfectly and effortlessly transitioned between the ethereal, refined Yun Xi and the tomboyish, brash Deng Deng. There was criticism of her portrayal of Deng Deng because some thought she over-acted, but I thought she did fine.

Ren Jia Lun did what he did best, playing a calm, cold, emotionless person who gradually warmed up to the female lead. However, I felt RJL lacked his usual intensity compared to his other dramas. It could be due to how he interpreted his character, who was supposed to become indifferent during those 3000 years, trying to bring back Yun Xi by transferring energy into his last remnant of her. Regardless, without his usual magnetic emoting, the romance failed to come alive for me.

It also did not help that RJL used his voice this time, and one can tell he lacked experience with voice dubbing. It often sounded like he was reciting lines and came across as dull. On the other hand, Li Qin also used her voice but was better in delivery; however, her dubbing suffered from the volume being too loud, making her sound annoying sometimes.

Other than the romance, I also found the villains lackluster. I like Leon Lai and his acting, but as Zhu Rong, the main antagonist for most of the show, I was not entirely convinced by his motivations and actions, especially towards the end. Plus, the last-minute addition of another villain just felt too rushed. Ultimately, the final showdown was somewhat anti-climatic.

Overall, even though I did not get the fantastic love story I expected from a RJL drama, it was still a show worth watching. It was fun watching Lu Yan and Deng Deng play detective to uncover who was threatening the spirit clan and humanity.


Full OST
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9iDlX-GIwI
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6qV032sg5Faeju8KTDQbeJ?si=3a9110beb0c34f61

1. 吾 (I) - 任嘉伦 (Allen Ren) 00:00
2. 有时无期 (Indefinite At Times) - 张碧晨 (Zhang Bichen) 04:40
3. 光年爱情 (Light Year Love) - 王靖雯 (Wang Jingwen) 07:54
4. 你是我唯一 (You Are My Only One) - 陆虎 (Lu Hu) 11:38

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Love is not for suckers. Not when it's done well. Which this is not.

A reality show within a scripted show is a potential goldmine of craziness, scandalous behavior, unexpected betrayals, unlikely alliances and revealing both physical parts and intangible sides to the cast. And “Love is for Suckers” when it peels itself away from the generic main-character-romance drama, acquits itself rather well. “Rather” though is an important qualification because there’s some frustratingly obvious ways that this production could have been a memorable one.

The main issue is how the storyline and tone are balanced. It’s very much a show centered on the two main characters - Lee Da Hee’s reality show producer Yu Reum and Choi Si Won’s neurologist/reality show participant Jae Hoon. They’re best friends and neighbors that, of course, have the occasional surfacing of romantic tension that’s been blocked by Jae Hoon’s all-encompassing job and Yu Reum’s previous serious relationships.

They end up on opposite sides of the camera in a reality dating show with Jae Hoon expected to romance one of the female cast members and Yu Reum expected to make compelling reality television. That both of these don’t sync up with a potential girlfriend-boyfriend relationship between the two main characters is the primary narrative. It’s not altogether unentertaining but how it unfolds ultimately is unfulfilling.

Chief among them is that Choi Si Won is a natural at light and comic and boisterous, but is out of his depth with a more serious role. And there’s a good stretch focused on the character’s tortured past that he hasn’t moved past and it’s not a convincing portrayal.

It’s also a hard sell that Yu Reum is a diligent worker, an ally to her colleagues, stands up and takes responsibility when she makes a mistake, is honest and kind, a respectful daughter, fearless in the face of danger, able to eat spicy food, etc. but is somehow struggling at both work and her personal life. Together, the two are just not a lot of fun, don’t really seem to match each other at all and neither is sympathetic enough that the melodrama lands emotionally.

Meanwhile, there’s some tremendous characters beyond the main two. Jo Soo Hyang is electric as Yu Reum’s superior Kang Chae Ri. She’s a modern, unapologetic, strong female that is flawed and damaged and reckless that is both maddening and endearing. Park Yeon Woo also hits all the right notes as an insecure celebrity chef. Lee Juyeon’s Han Ji Yun is a more one dimensional character as the art professor pining for Jae Hoon’s attention, but it’s a warm and touching performance. As is the married and co-restauranteurs couple played by Min Jin Woong and Noh Susanna hoping to conceive. But each part of this ensemble gets short screentime so that Jae Hoon can break out a head-tilted pouty face at an unendingly despondent Yu Reum about a dozen times per episode. Had the whole thing been reengineered to spread the spotlight around more and tilt the main pair’s romance to a lighter, more comedic style, perhaps that would have really pulled in an audience.

Other minor complaints - Lee Dae Hwi’s Sang Woo is a bland character that rarely is necessary to advance any narrative, whether primary or secondary, forward and the performance is uncomfortably stilted. There’s a smattering of subplots between the reality show cast members and some of them are well-acted and show promise, but as soon as one episode sets up a potentially compelling direction, it will be forgotten and ignored thereafter. An eating disorder? Appears and vanishes. A mental illness? Forgotten once it triggers a laughably poor cliffhanger at the end of an episode.

And a minor detail, but impossible to miss - Lee Da Hee was styled and wardrobed to near perfection in her most notable recent work “Search: WWW” and the contrast with how poorly she is outfitted on this show is gargantuan.

“Love is for Suckers” has some nice pieces but they don’t fit together very well. Not really recommended.

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If you are familiar to K-C-TW dramas and if you are new to lakorns you'll notice that lakorns are totally different from K-C-TW dramas.. But you'll find them as addictive as them. They don't have a high budget like them but they are not that bad.


Anusaniya ( Kimberley) is the rich girl, Sattawat is a doctor, his mother has got gambling problems, Anusaniya's uncle is in love with her, Sattawat's mother & Anusaniya's aunt in a way arranged them to marry, the dad agrees so they got married without love. As in any drama we do have distrubing characters. Somika was previously with Anusaniya's uncle but he breaks up from her for Anusaniya, this time she goes to Sattawat, she announces her love to him, but the doc has no feelings, Doc has a crush on Anusaniya since he saved her from drawning. It's for sure that Kimberley is a great actress but this type of characters sort of stick on her, she's always the rich, snob girl, though Doctor is not poor but not a chaebol.

They do have on screen chemistry with James. Just like on her previous drama we'll watch her development as she develops she'll realise that she loves Satawat.

Sonika is sometimes going overboard so her character was written excessive, she's a type of stalker
Keep pestering Sattawat. Annusya's bro pregnantes a girl, and she also hate her and she wants her baby to be the only heir of the family, that's what we know until later episodes. It's sort of like Brazilian Soap Operas.


Mirantee is a reporter but also Anusaniya's school friend, she had doubts that Anusaniya would ever recognise her, but yet she has not only recognised her and her name, she also recognised that she helped her when her heel was broken, after that incident Mirante started to help Anusiya.

Their bond got better. Mirante is also in love with the uncle. The actor who plays the uncle Pop Thagoon Karnthip is also quite handsome :))

When he had a accident Mirante was the one who was crying by his bedside. Sonika is the one who's responsible from all bad things happening to Annusiya's family and people around her, it is just jealousy turning into a mad hatter.

Anusaniya's brother's girlf also uses Sonika's addiction obsession on Satawat to hit Anusaniya, but Sonika is the idiot letting people to use her.

There's everything you are looking for, love, romance, action ( not that sort of action but still) kidnapping, cat fight..

At the end we see that uncle understands who he really loves :)

Our couple still pulling each other's hair, it's their way of showing love, aggressive couple. Doc is romantic soft hearted but our girl is bitchy.

Not only the uncle and doc is handsome here, the guy who plays the owner of the furniture company is also hot

Well doc have been doing wrong all the time, while he could silence his wife with a lovely kiss :D

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The story was just not all about sex or drugs the story actually have a good plot and for me and they actually put some lessons about life, death, and having difficulties living in this world, accepting things, forgetting things and how to move on from the past that is a good one and their acting skills was great, it felt so real and I love it everything is actually fine. For me, the story have a good ending and the whole story is actually good I can't add any bad reviews in it the story gave me a different emotions that made me loving this movie so badly hoping they could make Part 2 hehe....

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This drama.. did things to my heart that can't simply be put in words.
First of all, I absolutely loved the plot and the characters. Oh God the characters...

It's actually my first time seeing Ji Chang Wook on screen so to say the least, the first impression he made on me will surely last. He just captivated me with his role as Healer. And he can be supper adorable when he's acting all weak and innocent!!
This is also my first time seeing the lead actress and I must say, I like her. She suited her role and nailed it. At the first 2 episodes I wasn't sure what to think of her character, but just soon after she easily won me over completely. Her character is just adorable and simply lovable, especially how she's not bitter about having a rough childhood. I personally don't see a reason for not liking her character.

I also loved the mother. I loved Yoo Ji Tae's character. He's a perfect representation of a human's conflict with morals and feelings. He's also warm, helping and just too cute when he grins :D I absolutely loooooved Ahjummaa hahaha she just kept cracking me up. The characters' role was very suiting, long side all the other secondary characters that were helpful to the leads. They all take a little space in your heart. Just seeing the leads around these nice secondary characters will put you at ease. I also found the post office and all who worked in it very home-y and awesome.
Yeong Shin's father and her father's helper also cracked me up, especially when acting overprotective and all XD
I also liked how the characters handled the situations they were in. There were no stupid fights over frustrating misunderstandings. There were no secondary characters butting in on the lead's love. I seriously can't stand those misunderstanding that happen because of another character who loves one of the leads. I mean a love triangle can be fun sometimes, but other times it just drives one crazy.
Even the bad characters, although irritating and infuriating, they weirdly enough aren't so annoying. They make you want to kill them, yes. But you'll simply feel hate, not annoyance.

Another thing that made me fall in love was the fact that this was basically the first love for both the lead characters. It made it feel so sincere and innocent. I mean, who wouldn't like a guy who never dated before or had much interest in girls before and a girl who also didn't date and has been saving herself to be their fist love? It just instant;y screams LOYALTY to your face. It's a kind of love we would innocently dream of as kids. So to see it displayed is a dream come true.


It didn't focus much on comedy as much as it focused on thriller, drama, action and romance.Still, the few moments that were funny can sure drive you to laugh. And even without those funny moments, a lot of other parts can easily put a smile on your face (My biggest weakness was when Jung hoo ((Healer)) smiled around Yeong shin).
To be honest, at parts, I felt bad for moon ho's brother, but I suppose he chose this fate.

Over all, this drama will do things to your heart.Trust me. Some parts will drive you to tears. Some will make you laugh. Some will make you smile. Some will just move a feeling inside that you cannot explain. Also the soundtracks are soft, sweet and relevant.
It will make you long for it once you finish it. You won't feel too comfortable seeing the characters who played it act in other dramas because the character you have for them in your head will stay these characters of Healer for a while. Or at least, that's how it goes for me.
Memorable drama. It will make you happy. Watch now! NOW! Go what are you waiting for!

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A Mature and Underrated Gem in the BL World

When it comes to showing off their stunning male actors’ butts, nobody does it better than Be On Cloud. From KinnPorsche to 4 Minutes and now Shine… truly the masters of cheeks on screen 🍑😂

It’s so rare that I genuinely love both couples in a BL, but this series absolutely delivered. Apo and Mile already proved their magic in KinnPorsche, and now seeing Son (Krailert) for the first time was such a revelation, he’s like a stunning Thai god, beautiful and perfect in every way.
The attention to detail is incredible. From the 1960s setting, the vintage clothes, cars, and houses, the production team poured so much effort into making this drama authentic and immersive. Every episode held my attention, I was never once bored, and the story kept me captivated throughout.
The highlight for me is Krailert secretly seeing his lover. It powerfully portrays the struggles of same-sex relationships and the pain of staying closeted in the 1960s. The NC scenes are another standout. They’re not just erotic but also deeply romantic, with the hauntingly beautiful violin background music making them unforgettable.
This series deserves way more recognition. 10/10 highly recommended for anyone who loves BL done with depth, beauty, and heart.

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Precious Fluff with a Healthy Side of Substance

I originally wrote this review halfway through the drama, and I'm happy to confirm it did not disappoint me at all afterwards. So many kdramas become consumed by the male lead in the back half, or otherwise forgot to follow through on the female lead's story. But this wasn't the case at all here, because Gangnam Beauty was committed to Mi Rae's growth. The times that it strayed from her, it tended to follow the stories of the other women in the drama, most significantly antagonist Soo Ah's own perspective on beauty and self-esteem, but also Kyung Seok's mom and her attempts to reconnect with her children.

This drama hit all the right notes for me. I was really reluctant to watch it because often stories about makeovers or plastic surgery have very negative messages which suggest either that your life will be better when you are "prettier," or else they emphasize the fat shaming and fall into the very tropes they're trying to fight against. But Gangnam Beauty did an excellent job of questioning beauty standards and showcasing the hypocrisy of a society that only values women for their appearance. I think it's only real flaw in my book is that it had what appeared to be PPL for a diet pill in one episode, but the pill was used by Soo Ah and the protagonist Mi Rae later called her out for all the methods women use to be the "most beautiful" when all they end up doing is hurting themselves. So while I would rather they never have shown it, I'm glad they turned it around after.

Anway, onto the cast: I think Im Soo Hyang and Cha Eun Woo did very well as Mi Rae and Kyung Seok. Even if the latter is a little green as an actor, he believably conveyed the subtle shifts in Kyung Seok's "coldness" and watching him warm up and become open as the drama went on was a treat. But of course, it's Soo Hyang who carried the weight of the drama on her shoulders, and she made Mi Rae's paralyzing fears very relatable while still allowing her inner strength to shine through. The side characters were all well-cast in my book, and their personalities were realistic and charming or even more realistic and infuriating as needed. I loved that the show never became solely about the romance - although the soft and slow progression of said romance was perfect for both characters - but really incorporated university life and friendships throughout.

I read the webtoon because of this drama, so I'm biased in the show's favor, but I think it conveyed the message from the comic appropriately. Adding Hyun Jung as a best friend for Mi Rae was an excellent choice in my book because it helped us understand how Mi Rae made it this far and showed that you can have a support system and still feel alone on a larger scale. Plus it set Soo Ah apart as a woman who lives for competition (even though that's something that society is partially to blame for as well) in comparison to several other girls in the show who were genuine in their intentions even if they sometimes fall short. I also like how it called out certain kdrama tropes, allowing our gallant male lead to learn more about how to respect the female lead even though he already started off leagues ahead of most men.

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The reason I started this was not only the premise and the posters but also the fact that Park Shi Hoo had a leading role. Ever since his comeback I've waited for a drama that would truly get him back into dramaland. Local Hero was an utter disappointment and I was already worried that he will never gain a foothold into showbiz again. But then My Golden Life happened.

The summary of the drama is pretty accurate, so I won't tell much more about it. If I did, it would probably contain spoilers that should only be revealed by watching the drama yourself.

This drama has so many charming points that it's actually quite difficult to find a starting point. If I had to point out the biggest strength, it would probably be the writing and the cast. Especially the veteran actors impressed big time. Every time the drama seemed to drag, they pushed the story forward and really made me care for their characters. Chun Ho Jin and Jun Noh Min... Two actors I respect a lot. They are so versatile in all of their roles, that I'm always happy to see them in a drama. And goddammit, they were awesome here.

The leads themselves stood their ground and were one of many driving wheels of the story. Actually, the whole cast was so well balanced that it's hard to find a weak link. Of course, I had to pay special attention to Park Shi Hoo since he was not that impressive in his previous drama. And what can I say other than that he found his confidence again. In the first couple of episodes he seemed shaky and nervous, so I was still skeptical about him. I couldn't force myself to ignore his flaws, so I hoped he would get a grip soon. And he did. It took some time but he finally managed to find his old acting self again. From that point onward it was not difficult anymore to enjoy his performance. Though I also have to mention that in some of the later episodes he got unsteady again.

Something that needs to be emphasized in this drama is the development of every single character. Everyone is going through some very dear and life changing situations which pushes them in unexpected directions and shapes their growth vastly. Forcing some of them to make a bunch of inevitable decisions, I didn't always like the direction they were taking. On the other hand they made them so understandable that it was also hard to oppose it.

Family dramas are usually not my thing because the sheer length of the episodes is bound to get draggy at some point. I can't deny the fact that this drama has some difficulties as well, but the amount of these parts is fairly acceptable and doesn't weigh too much into the enjoyment of the drama. And the reason for that are the couples. Each and every one of them had a very interesting story to tell. Whether it was the leads, their families or their friends. Especially the two male friends of Do Kyung (PSH) were a pleasant add to the main character. If one of the side stories got too depressive, there was always another "supposed to be" couple that ensured some lighter moments and lifted the heavy atmosphere.

I'm praising this drama so much and yet my rating only stays at 8.5... What to say about that. I had some issues with the ending. It was not a shocking one and I get parts of it. Yet, the way they wrote it seemed too exaggerated and estranged some characters a bit for me. Not only did they include one of my most hated drama tropes, they also gave the final resolution a torn connotation. Therefore I was not able to fully enjoy the end of the drama.

Overall, I would still recommend My Golden Life. It has some really sweet but also touching and heartbreaking moments, great character development and an endearing bunch of actors and actresses. And who knows, maybe you are more tolerable about its final minutes than my humble self.

One warning though:
There will be a character who will bring your darkest side to light. He is obstinate and stubborn and arrogant till the end, so prepare yourself for some seriously hair-pulling and fist-clenching situations.

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Your Inner Beauty Speaks to Me

Face swap. Murder investigations. Blossoming romance. Gothic cinematography. These are the four ingredients that create this stunning drama. The story is about the female lead who has a scar on her face. On her wedding day, a beautiful and obsessed woman swaps her face with the female lead, in order to marry her husband (the male lead). But ends up being killed the same day. With a new face and body, the female lead begins to investigate her death in the sinful city, alongside her husband who doesn’t know her true identity.

It’s important to mention that the first two episodes are unusual as they give all the screen time to the guest actress who portrays the original body of the female lead (scar face). This is a great exposition in establishing the relationship between the main leads and enhancing their love story. However, the drawback is that when the main actress shows up at episode three, it feels a little off and it takes a few episodes to get used to seeing the same character portrayed by someone else. (I discuss more about this below).

The biggest highlight for me is the wonderful writing of the male lead who truly makes us all believe that he falls in love with the female lead’s personality and that no matter what face or body she possesses, he will always choose her and love her unconditionally. I loved seeing their blossoming romance, which was kind of slow burn but more like steadily built up in a realistic and mature way.

What truly surprised me in this drama is the intricate murder investigation cases which felt real, raw and well developed. They had the right amount of mystery and cool twists to keep the audience engaged. They never felt like filler scenes as they always connected to the main conflict of the plot. The fact is that I absolutely loved the cases despite being someone who rarely watches investigation dramas or even likes them.

MAIN CHARACTERS/ACTORS:
- Pan Yue (male lead) is written to perfection. You cannot not fall in love with him. He puts personality above looks. He is a great fighter, great poet and probably great lover (hello kiss scenes). The actor Liu Xue Yi has such a strong on-screen presence, he is smoking hot and totally underrated. His character felt well developed especially in showing how he falls in love with the female lead. Perhaps his only flaw is that he might be too perfect but I ain’t complaining.
- Yang Cai Wei / Shangguan Zhi (female lead) is shown as strong-willed, brave, intelligent with a unique forensic skill. My only issue with the way the character is written is the slight inconsistency of her personality after her face is swapped (I’ll discuss in more detail the negative points below). The main actress Ju Jing Yi was fantastic in her role and especially her acting impressed me massively when she portrayed the villain in the first two episodes. I feel she did really well in playing two distinctly different characters and I was easily convinced of the face swap.

POSITIVE:
- Blossoming romance that’s built well and steadily (like a mature and realistic relationship).
- Devilishly handsome male lead with strong on-screen presence.
- Dark and mysterious murder cases that are well written and show the brutality of humanity.
- Male lead falls in love with the female lead’s personality, not her physical looks.
- Smart female lead with unique forensic skills.
- Hot shirtless scenes (yes I said it).
- Hot kiss scene (one but worth the watch).
- Perfect balance between the romance story and the investigation plot. I never felt one overpowered the other.
- Gothic and sexy cinematography.
- Liu Xue Yi (male lead) brilliant acting in every possible way. The way he speaks, the way he moves, the way he walks. He is simply captivating to watch.
- Ju Jing Yi (female lead) portrays two characters beautifully. Her villainous role, although short, is a total scene stealer.
- Engaging and well executed plot.
- Beautiful OST.
- Great support cast and guest actors that stand out with their acting.
- Nice push and pull dynamic between the leads (at the start).

NEGATIVE:
!!! No drama is without flaws and although there are negative points here, none of them took away from my enjoyment. The main issue I had was how the face swap was handled at the beginning of the drama.

- The drama gives all the screen time in the first two episodes to the guest actress (who portrays the original female lead) which creates an awkward emotional bond with the audience when she is suddenly replaced by the main lead at episode three (after the face swap). In terms of the love story, this is great as it emphasised the male lead’s love for the female lead and clearly showed the audience that he did not fall in love with her because she suddenly had a nice face and body. However I feel the actual female lead JJY suffered since the audience had to get used to seeing the same character as her. What would have made it better is, if they had started the drama with JJY (as the villain) and given her more screen time to establish her as the main lead.
- The actual face swap remained a mystery in the whole drama. It was never explained how it was done. In fact it felt very unrealistic that the characters kept referring to it as a face swap when it is very clear that the two actresses have different body types, weight and skin tone. I feel it would have been better if they had chosen an actress similar to JJY or just called it a body/soul swap.
- Personality switch. The original YCW (main character) is shown as mature, calm and level-headed but after the face swap she oddly becomes extremely carefree as SZ. We are told that the character is trying to pretend to be SZ but even when she is alone, we don’t really see her as the original YCW from the first two episodes. Having said that, in the later episodes and especially when her identity is revealed, her personality does appear very similar to the original YCW. So I do blame the writers for this inconsistency. I believe the reason they made her carefree after the switch was to give us light-hearted scenes (especially with the male lead) which meant they sacrificed logic for cuteness.
- Although the drama wraps up well and resolves the main conflict related to the leads, it still leaves it open for a second season. But we all know chinese dramas rarely do second seasons so I kind of wish the last 10 seconds of the drama were cut.

OVERALL:
This is the Best 2024 Historical drama for me so far. Even better, it’s the best 2024 drama for Youku so far too. It has gathered millions of views with a 10,000 heat index by day three of its release. In fact, it became such a huge success that Youku upgraded it to S+ treatment (promotion and live events). I’m very much impressed by what the production has done with an A level (low budget) drama.

If you are looking for a drama with blossoming romance, murder investigations, beautiful gothic cinematography with smart and skillful main leads + a male lead who falls for the female lead’s personality not her looks, watch this drama now.

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