Reviews

Poor Title But A Great Series!

Perhaps I am in a minority here, but I found this series to be quite good and watched it on a lark. The title was awful and that I think more than anything through people off and stopped the audience from watching. Yes, it is a 'ghost' story (duh) but it is quit good and the ghostly part of it really enhances the romance aspect of the story in a very adult way and not in an intended way. For a fantasy series, it was presented with reasonably expectations and felt 'real' if that makes sense. All the characters, including the 'ghosts' were likeable and relatable and were so ordinary that the scenes seemed so normal. Regrettably, I think this series was overlooked but it should be watched. I found it quite moving.

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Familiar reborn tale given gothic superpower treatment

This drama appeared on my dashboard last weekend. When I clicked 'Play', the character names were familiar. I have watched another version (starring Zhou Hang & Yao Yu Chen which I enjoyed immensely). In the starting scene, ML eyes turned red and I was intrigued by supernatural element. Oh boy, I wasn't disappointed.

What I liked:
1. Elements - I love the gothic and superpower treatment given to this drama as it distinguishes itself from other versions. The VFX was cool despite the short screentime. Some scenes remind me of Evanescence's Call Me When You're Sober music video.
2. Wang Yi Lei - I was delighted to see him as ML because I enjoyed his performance as SML in his others dramas (one with He Jian Qi and Zhai Xin Ran & mini drama Ready for Love). Fu Ting Shen in this drama was cool & mostly calm. However I wish he had upped the ante when FL first met ML while his superpower was on.
3. Styling - Gorgeous! FL had one of the best outfits I have seen in vertical dramaland. The 1940s style short dresses & fascinators. I also liked her wedding gowns.
4. Romance - Oh, mostly sweet with a dash of spice. Good balance of push and pull. The wedding gown scene was hot.
5. Supporting characters - Wen Jianran made a lasting impression despite short screentime. I also like the actress who played villainess Jiang - her character had substance compared to other 2 antagonists.

What I disliked:
1. Superpower arc - I wish this arc was given more screentime and perhaps a twist. Given that the superpower had been surpressed all this while, I was perplexed by how the power was handled at the end.

Favourite scene
The start when FL witnessed ML's love for her

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SO ....

lets start with this story .. until like episode 25 its amazing and I'm serious about that.
It is cute, funny and I think in this story there is every single lakorn cliché that i know of. There is the lost on an island, the mean mother-in-law, the scheming exgirlfriend, the sudden child, the brother who is in love with her,the other guy(childhood friend) who is in love with her, the kidnappings (which is the only one i didn't like) ... just everything.
However almost all of them have a nice twist and a nice realistic going. Not the same old same old. I also love that the brother found his own happiness that was just such a cute story.
So all in all I love the story until episode 25. What happened there ? Did the writer change ? I mean two kidnappings, two shootings and all the same. There wasn't even tension anymore. And also the misunderstanding. I mean seriously ?! Ver already gave up on her and suddenly he misunderstands seeing them together and also when did our female lead become so stupid that she suddenly believe the ex.... like just no.
But the story is still amazing and so worth watching.

The acting was great, not that special but all in all good. I love the actor who played the dad. I mean i have seen him in so many roles, i think he is a lakorn icon.

Music was sometimes distracting and just way too loud and inappropriate at times. Like you would have the sense where the leads are fighting and the music would be kind of happy and weird. I didn't mind it too much though.

I would actually rewatch this but just like the first and middle part since the ending really didn't do it for me ( its happy though don't worry )

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okay follow up

I liked the first season enough to look forward to One Fine Week 2. How the writers will approach "star dating a normie"?

One things I liked about first season was bit of twists and turns narrative that kept you guessing. But in second season they changed it up and things weren't up to debate much. It starts on a similar note, but as plot progresses, it kinda loses the spark.
The variety show setup is repeated, albeit the setting is changed and it does affect the story a bit. Idols are filmed 24/7 instead of having a crew around, which at the end of season starts to generate plot holes. What will they do with the footage of idols openly beefing or main characters being together?
The narrative highlighting struggles of being an idol is continued, but served more as a plot device than focus of the story. Yes, it's an important part still, but I felt like it happened in the background and real focus was the romance.

There are new characters. As much as I liked the acting of Woohee and Lee Ki Taek, they were just kinda there. Woohee especially, she was the helpful friend but that's it. Lee Ki Taek did a good job, I liked him in In Seoul and seeing him again was nice. His character was more developed, even though he lowkey felt into the second male lead cliche. He was more like School 2015 Gong Taekwang or Heirs Youngdo, the type of less approachable guy who magically opens up to female lead.
The two villains are bit cartoonish to me. Most of the time I wanted to skip their scenes but knew I needed context if their schemes come to life.
One thing is sure, I did felt the flustration from male lead. His relationship took a hit because of his idol status, and he didn't know what to so. However the chemistry the couple had last season was barely there? Maybe that was the point, as they were supposed to be exhaused by circumstances.

The pace picks up at the end, but in general I felt the story could be told in 6-8 episodes instead of 10. It lags a bit, and when a new episode dropped, I kept finding myself forgetting the plot of last episode. I just wasn't as engrossed in the story to remember every little detail or refresh the page to see if new episode is up.
As a stand alone webdrama, it's average. As a follow up, it's bit disappointing. It's not bad, but it kinda misses the mark. If you liked first season, give it a watch and see for yourself.

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When I said Mature Drama, I Talk About this Type of Mature Drama

I complete Go Ahead very early 2023. Then I see that the very same team make another drama. What wonderful news. (On the drama cover, Li Xian capture my eyes because physically he is such my type, hehe) I follow it since. It's been quite some time since the last time I watch ongoing drama religiously. So here I am.

The first episode is gloomy and heart-wrenching. If I didn't know the creator, I'll stop watching, because that's not what I came for. But that's a very important episode, so I'm glad they pack it into one early episode. Thats help us to establish our point of view about Hong Dou. She is my fav character ever, sympathetic but objective, gentle but fierce, and mature but knows how to have fun. Her social skill is awesome. I love the fact that they do not make her gloomy because of her past story. It's changed her at the micro level continuously, but didn't change her into another human being.

After the second episode, the atmosphere changed. Peaceful village with beautiful scenery. Warmer colour grading. Natural and friendly interaction of human beings. Again, this drama team successfully bring the rawness of human interaction into the screen. It will be a novel if I tell every part of this drama that I love. But let me bring my fav. Neighbourhood aunties and uncles. This is an interesting piece that exists in Go Ahead but is not explored completely. The writers tackle this point extremely well. Not judgemental but constructive. Hong Dou's interactions with the elderly are GOLD. And the story of every villagers and visitors are so well written. It's like no one is left behind. Friendship, family, business and community, from children to elders. And the cast is so good at acting, just chef kiss.

Some people said that this is a promotional drama. If that's what is it. They do it well. If I'm in China, I'll be tempted to visit. I also realize this is quite a patriotic drama, haha.

Then, ROMANCE. It would be a sin if I'm not bringing up this topic. The romance between them is the one I called mature romance! The attraction is mutual and very organic. Both are denying at first because of mutual understanding. They think and worry about the future but are brave enough to fight for what they want.

It is such a healing, therapeutic drama. And impactful, I begin to meditate after watching this drama. Their OST is so good! I especially loved the main OST and that sultry OST, so cringey in a good way.

The first drama of 2023, potentially become the best.

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A worthy remake

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

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

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

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

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Match Made in Heaven, Thanks to Food!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Intense show

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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It’s a whirlwind of emotions.

It’s been a real long time since I’ve watched a movie so heartbreaking, so bittersweet, and funny. It really is whirlwind emotions that one hopes to experience and prays to avoid. It has its absurd moments, comical moments, happy moments, sad moments, and everything in between. This movie ebbs and flows like life. Even a week after watching this movie, a song comes on that jogs up the last scene, and I fall back into the story, the characters, and I’m lost to those feelings again.

I know Hwang Jung Min is an incredible actor, but his acting in this movie floored me and showed the depth of his talent. I highly recommend this movie to anyone.

Also, this is the first I’ve written on here, so that is how much I love this movie.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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vast in scope and audacious in ambition

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Yumi's Cells ✨

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

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Rewriting fate with whips and chains

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

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

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

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