Reviews

Its empathic. Powerful. Yet, beware: it is rather slow & actually not on the bright side of life

"Trolley" is a SBS production for South Korean TV first of all, even it is promptly running on Netflix, too. One could say that the KDrama is about a politician's wife, who is caught up in an emotionally draining past and overtaken by an extremely unpleasant present. One could say that it is about an ambitious politician with a promising career, who is in the middle of the national assembly election campaign and will give everything for it. One could say that it is about the classic moral trolley dilemma, which is running through the story like a key note – should one intervene in the unstoppable, catastrophic events and sacrifice one human life in the process, or let things take their course, the but then (in the case of the trolley dilemma) will claim several victims? With respect to each of these varying aspects, the story delivers suspense, depth and emotional intensity, enriched with complex details until the end.

"Trolley" is like a large patchwork quilt made up of many colorful, isolated, fateful pieces of the jigsaw puzzle that becomes a whole while increasing in suspense episode by episode. And this spectacular whole is what I particularly appreciate about this KDrama. Because the production is dedicated to a sensitive issue in South Korea society: the devaluation, harassment, oppression, contempt, discrediting, defamation, exploitation, sexualization of women and widespread physical violence against them.

The KDrama articulates a quiet howl calling for change. This howl, which has been rather mute for the longest time, wants a voice. This howl of pain wants to be heard. One voice should become many. Laws protecting women (and victims of abuse in general) would be all well and good. But even more so (and above all) there is a need for courageous role-models of women (and men) who lead the way. (Or for a start: KDramas and their e.g. female protagonists...) Role models are needed, who stand up for themselves, for their lives, for what happened to them, and for their rights as human beings. Tangible role models are needed embodying what lies at the heart of (these much-needed) laws: the non-debatable dignity inherent in every human being, regardless of gender, creed, birth, or ability. Paragraphs alone are not enough. They must be filled with life. With people who dare to actually venture out of the familiar swamp with their heads held high. And that's (for women) still easier said than done in South Korea 2023. "Trolley" embodies these circumstances in an impressive way. In fact, this is more than overdue. This TV production also places this message with some force and spreads it worldwide, too, so it cannot be overheard. Can it? May the message get through and encourage … women, young people, … and men too.

However, the spotlight is not directed at one or 'the' man as such, but at society as a whole, in which women structurally function (or supposed to function) well; in which they themselves participate in the premises - as mothers, as classmates, as part of a bullying, via public and Social media easy to manipulate crowd. The poisonous social thorn is so deeply rooted within women themselves: a systematically and consistently cultivated, inferior attitude towards their life. The the circumstances usually aren´t even seriously questioned because: that's the way it is… has been… (will be?)

Practically all of the women in this KDrama represent a self-esteem that has been deeply hurt and thus weakened as a result of private and public devaluation or even physical violence. They all somehow learned to live with it. They are battered, wounded and scarred, and they suffer from their feeling of inferiority that weakens them into old age. The worst thing about it: that they are still standing there alone, because nobody really can/wants to acknowledge their suffering and justified anger. Women have had to learn to live with the fact that there are no witnesses, no advocate, no encouragement, no attention, no consolation for them and their traumatic experience of harassment. No one is standing in their corner. The social message: You didn't deserve anything else. You´re to blame. 'Submissive, quiet, tame and silenced, everyone can do whatever they want.' Such is fate as a daughter. As an unwanted daughter. As the first daughter. As a daughter-in-law. As a wife. As a divorced woman. As an illegitimate mother. That something, which has remained deeply in these women, now shows impact, too: so that they either secretly and quietly devalue and question themselves, alternatively devalue others on their behalf, or let others devalue them on principle. This painful experience has not been redeemed to this day and should not be redeemed (from the social point of view of some). It is the ingrained yet invisible mark that South Korean society brands its women with. With "Trolley" it is out in the open. In multiple ways. Options for change are discussed, and the difficulties involved are also explored.

A strong portrait of society, cleverly prepared and seriously presented, yet in an entertaining manner. The KDrama meets a red-hot zeitgeist that calls for winds of change. The story courageously challenges the conservative, patriarchal attitude, which by nature denies women the right to be fully acknowledged human beings with the same rights. In the course of the last year, blood boiled high in South Korea after President Yoon declared 'structural sexism' being no longer existent in the Republic and wanted to abolish the Ministry for Equality and Family (or move it to other departments). In these times (see also the side note below), "Trolley" is a courageous and important production, because it tells a different story - that of devalued, sexualized, abused women in a self-satisfied man's world. Respect!

Its empathic. Powerful. Yet, beware: it is rather slow and actually not on the bright side of life.








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SIDE NOTE: --- Always burning topical: violence against women in South Korea ---

If you compare the crime statistics in (i.e.) Germany and South Korea, South Korea is clearly the safer country. Seoul is arguably one of the safest cities in the world. But not for women...

Overall, violence in South Korea may be limited. But against women it is alarmingly widespread. Of the violent crimes recorded in South Korea, about 80 percent of the victims are women. In 2020, more than 58 incidents of sexual violence, including rape, were recorded among 100,000 residents in South Korea. (There were 12 in Germany for comparison). There have been newspaper reports of brutal femicides almost weekly in recent years. In a national survey conducted by the Ministry for Gender Equality and Family in the summer of 2021 (the ministry still existed then), 57.8 percent (!) of women stated that they felt threatened by misogynistic violence.

But the current political line is different. President Yoon stands for the values of the so-called "New Men's Solidarity". Behind this is a deeply patriarchal, conservative thinking that denies women to be full human beings with the same rights. Accordingly, the official line tends to go backwards: the penalties for false allegations of sexual assault are increased and the politicians rather argue with classic perpetrator-victim reversal: the women provoked the men by not doing what the men want them to do . Courts rarely judge in the interests of women. On the contrary. The outcome might be: victims of sexual violence are punished more severely than the perpetrators. Law against defamation of sex offenses is far stricter than that on sex offenses. It allows victims of sexual violence to be sentenced to up to 3 years in prison – even if it is proven that their publicly disclosed allegations are true. In the actual cases of sexual offenses, the verdicts against the perpetrators, however, are mostly merciful, with a mild sentence for crimes against women, as soon as there is one or the other weakening reason or an impeccable good reputation. Lax investigations and re-traumatizing behavior towards female victims in police and judicial authorities make matters worse.

All in all, it is very difficult for women to effectively defend themselves against the violence they might have experienced. Headwind blows from almost everywhere. Here we are again with the deeply patriarchal, conservative basic attitude of a society that denies women as a matter of course that they are full human beings with the same rights. This 'self-evidence' needs to be questioned and confronted. Resistance works best when women unite and at least start to stop this structural mutual devaluation among themselves. Speak, talk, share, cry, console... You don't need laws for that. Supporting one another, acknowledging injustice as such, comfort and compassion would be soothing ointments on the wounds of countless women that could heal a little bit better that way.

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I just finished this movie, and thought I need to write a review, as I feel the reviews here don't make this movie justice. This is not a bad movie. The title obsessed, illustrate well the main theme. It is about a forbidden love between two married people, a desire and obsession that consumes everything. It was sad and melancholic - the choice of classical music also enhanced this feeling. It is definitely a movie for mature audience, as it has very graphic sexual content, shows adultery, and touches upon complicated subjects like post conflict trauma. I also really liked the images of the movie, as they were very beautifully filmed.
It is true that the two main leads had their flaws - the commander had lost his purpose in life after traumatic experiences in Vietnam, and the main girl did a marriage of reason also after traumatic experiences from her past. Both are adults who didn't experience true love, and they are overwhelmed by their own feelings.
Overall I liked this movie, and I found that the actors played well.

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Head 2 Head? More Like Living Rent-Free in My Head

This series honestly sneaks up on you. What starts off feeling like sharp banter, rivalry, and chaos slowly turns into something way heavier and endearing. I didn't even realize when it happened- one moment I was entertained, the next I was deeply and emotionally invested. My only complaint is how short the episodes are and the occasional abrupt scene cuts which actually did not bother me as much, because JeromeJinn, they make it completely worth it.

Jerome and Jinn are pure chaos in the best way. They started off as rivals who were constantly at each other's throats- insults, glares, nonstop competition but let's be real, that was just them flirting in denial. Every argument, every petty moment, every attempt to one-up the other was just unresolved feelings screaming for attention. Their chemistry is insane. The trailer calls them each other's nightmare, but all I see is them being each other's world. These two walk into a room and the gravity literally shifts. Their entire world just... orbits around each other. Unintentionally, intentionally- doesn't matter. Whether they are racing, arguing, or simply existing in the same space, it's always them against each other and them with each other, basically always them together.

Spoilers Alert!!

What really elevates the story is how it handles the darker elements. The dreams, visions, and accidents don't exist just for shock value, they slowly change the tone of everything. There's this constant sense that something bad is coming, and J's decision to not tell Jinn becomes its own source of tension. I understand why he does it, but watching him carry that weight alone is painful. The fear is quiet, personal, and suffocating, which makes it hit harder than any dramatic twist. Also, I get why some people feel the dreams are repetitive but isn't that the entire point of the series? Every dream sequence builds on the last. They're not just repeating for the sake of it; they're accumulating. Each one adds a new layer, getting heavier, more serious, and disturbingly real.

I have a lot of favorite moments- like a lot, every episode it just adds up. If I had to mention one of my absolute top favorite then one is Jerome's realization. J admitting he never hated Jinn and that he does not want to forget about the diary- oh my god, that whole scene. The way it played out, the atmosphere, the tension, the way they looked at each other, every word he spoke... and especially the vision of the future that followed, where they softly held each other's hand in the air as they looked at each other- that felt like a promise, like something they didn't have to say out loud because it was already written between them and to top it all off, "Not a Crush?" playing in the background blended so perfectly with the moment- it was perfect. My heart genuinely could not handle it. It was raw, it was beautiful, it was them. Every single second of that moment just cemented why I am completely, hopelessly obsessed with this series.

Also, I cannot not mention the hospital scene after Jinn's head injury. It's painfully beautiful. J is drowning in guilt, convinced the accident is his fault, while Jinn sees it as life being unpredictable and refuses to let J carry the weight of fate itself. What breaks me is realizing Jinn’s biggest fear isn't death- it's J slowly destroying himself with guilt. Even the suggestion of breaking up isn't cruelty; it's desperation. And that kiss? Not romantic... pure panic. A wordless don't say that. Then the line, "But if something happens to me one day, I'll believe you did your best."
This... this has my heart. Jinn isn't asking J to stop caring- he's asking him to stop hurting himself. I have so many more favorite moments and scenes that if I start listing them, I might actually fill every single page of that diary- you know the one that was first Jinn’s and now belongs to Jerome >_<

And then there's FarmVan- a whole different flavor of emotional chaos. Van hijacks Farm's space, steals his snacks, takes his bed like it's his own. And Farm, my sweet, soft, painfully in love Farm. He lets him. Every. Single. Time. Their chemistry is explosive and so is the tension between them. Every glance, every touch, every little flirt makes my heart do somersaults. But here's the thing- Van's insecurity is real, and he's constantly sabotaging himself. He tries, at least with Farm but it's never enough to stop him from hurting Farm in the process. And Farm... my sweet, soft, endlessly patient Farm. He loves Van so fully it hurts.

Also, I never could hate Van. He made me furious, but he also made me care, and that balance is hard to pull off. I understood what he was doing and why he was doing it, even when I couldn't agree with his choices. And honestly, that's what makes this series so strong- it's incredibly consistent with its characters. No one suddenly acts a certain way just to push the plot forward. Every messy decision, every bad call, still feels rooted in who they are. Nothing feels out of character, and that's what makes all the emotional beats hit so much harder.

Also, shout out to Mai who has been third wheeling, actually no fifth wheeling so hard I am convinced he deserves financial compensation and also a partner at this point. He has really suffered enough. I adore his friendship with them. And while we're at it, I absolutely love the mums and their friendship too- warm, grounding, and quietly perfect.

And I am in love with the OST, especially "Turns Out It's You". I have had it on loop for months. The lines- "I told myself no, but turns out it's you. I told myself don't, but you are the one." that is literally J and Jinn in TWO LINES. It screams them. In fact the song bleeds them. I don't think this is ever getting out of my playlist. Also, "Secret Crush" is just as good and this is J's POV. And "Not a Crush?" is Jinn's POV. I love all the osts including Friend Next Door and all those unknown background music which I still don't know the names of.

This series might not be perfect, and I am sure it has it's flaws, but for me, it's nothing short of perfect. It has a way of pulling me in and making every moment feel unforgettable. I'm so damn in love with this series. This series made me a fan of SeaKeen and now I am absolutely smitten by them. Highly Recommended!!!

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Rated this 7/10

... Because a drama educating adolescens on love and loneliness in high school, can't score higher.

7/10 is not a bad rating and I did not dislike this drama. Honestly it was very entertaining to watch and it was very well made. The actors did an incredible job despite being so young and I have great respect for them, since they pulled off the "Mature" tag without making it seem trashy or unrealistic.

Before watching this drama you should prepare for:

sexual scenes (Underwear, over the bra touching, covered up sex scenes, making out, and other mature content.)

A lot of inside dialogue

Lesbian love

High schoolers making countless mistakes and being generally butter brained.

The feels.
This drama will not make you cry but since it is a Jdrama, don't expect things to go the way you want them. This is basically a drama showing how people grow with time and experience. YOU WILL FEEL FRUSTRATION

It was very well made, so if you have nothing against the things listed above, I think you should take your time to watch this. It will be a nice memory and each episode is only about 23 minutes long. Nothing to lose and it will surely be an experience.

ENJOY!

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Bound by fate, kept by love, strengthened by never giving up

Khemjira stands as one of 2025’s most unexpected triumphs, not only within the BL sphere but across Thai television as a whole. What appears at first glance to be a mere romance quickly reveals itself as something far more layered, weaving love, destiny, forgiveness, and spirituality into a production guided by impeccable direction and elevated by unforgettable performances. It’s rare to encounter a series so complete, where every frame has purpose and every choice resonates beyond what the eye can see.

From the opening episode, it becomes clear that Khemjira is committed to charting its own path. By blending horror, drama, and romance, the series crafts an atmosphere both gripping and deeply moving. The story of Khem and Peem, or Pharan, unfolds with a tenderness that feels disarmingly genuine. Their love grows in cautious steps, shaped by hesitation and longing, and it’s precisely this slow burn that grounds their relationship in something recognizably human. Watching the master finally yield to love after so much resistance is profoundly rewarding. And when both characters find peace at last, granting themselves permission to love freely, the experience delivers a relief as tangible as a breath you didn’t realize you were holding.

But Khemjira’s strength extends far beyond its central romance. The writing gives every character depth and intention. Jet and Charn, for instance, form one of the most thoughtfully crafted secondary couples the genre has seen in years. Their easy, playful connection serves as a gentle pause amid the narrative’s emotional weight. Every storyline flows naturally into the next, building toward a conclusion that is as cohesive as it is moving.

And what a conclusion it is. Nearly two hours of uninterrupted storytelling, and not a moment feels superfluous. Every farewell, every reunion, every gesture of forgiveness lands with purpose. Ramphueng’s redemption, her long-awaited reconnection with her son, emerges as one of the year’s most affecting scenes. A character shaped by grief and rage finally finds peace. Khem’s act of forgiveness, more than symbolic, breaks a cycle of hatred and reminds us that love, at its most sincere, is inseparable from compassion.

DMD’s direction deserves particular praise. A company often acknowledged for technical competence but not necessarily for narrative strength, it surpasses expectations here. Pacing, performances, visuals, sound, everything aligns with striking precision. The series treats Thai spirituality and cultural elements with a level of respect and intentionality that elevates each moment, transforming the entire production into something quietly profound.

KengNamping and TleFirstOne prove themselves perfectly cast. Keng’s portrayal of Pharan commands every scene with a calm power, while Namping infuses Khem with tenderness, courage, and a steady emotional depth. Their chemistry is undeniable, but more compelling still is the sincerity with which they portray vulnerability. Tle and FirstOne, as Charn and Jet, deliver warmth and charm that balance the narrative beautifully.

Visually, Khemjira is nothing short of breathtaking. Each shot is composed like a painting, every interplay of light and shadow deliberate. Costumes, makeup, and visual effects are exceptional, especially when you consider that we’re talking about a Thai production, where technical polish is still far from the norm. The spiritual sequences, in particular, are impressively executed, elevating the narrative without ever feeling excessive. The soundtrack ties everything together with emotional precision, enriching the story without overwhelming it. At its core, Khemjira is a meditation on love and destiny, on bonds that outlast time, death, and even karma. It’s a story about forgiveness, renewal, and the courage to choose love despite the pain that often comes with it.

Watching Khemjira becomes an experience rather than a simple viewing. It invites you to feel everything, fear, longing, joy, ache, and few series manage to offer something so complete or so lasting. It’s one of those rare stories that ends but refuses to leave you, filling the heart while leaving a quiet, familiar ache of missing it already. A gift for anyone who still believes in stories that reach the soul.

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Go watch this drama now ~~~~~~~~~~~> GO GO

It is a veeeery good drama, as for the acting, as for the truth of the characters and for the really smooth plot accompanied with some really nice cliffhangers.

It is definitely worth to watch, and I would even say to re-watch (which is not something I usually do). The songs are great and some sequences full of emotions are really strong and great.

You will laugh at some situations, tears at some others and even though some imagination is needed sometimes, it all makes sense.

It's a drama I had much pleasure to begin, much pleasure to continue, and much pleasure to finish. It's well done and makes you go through a bunch of states!

I didn't know any of the actors but they are really doing great and you get attached to them really fast.

A MUST SEE

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ART OF APPRECIATING LIFE

Move to Heaven drama is the kind of thing you need when you are desperately seeking the meaning of your life. The most important purpose of this drama is to change our perspectives about "grieving" to someone's demise. Every other episode has it's beautiful message to deliver. This drama portrays important issues while celebrating people's life and showing both respect and shade to "death". It is so very wholesome and will truly evoke your emotions. So, if you're a worshiper of "slice of life" dramas,this drama is for YOU.

The drama starts with someone's misery hinting a tragic journey but the entire journey is just beautiful. Saying that it will make you cry tears of happiness will be an understatement because this is one of those heart-warming Kdramas out there.

Simply, the drama consists several different stories that worked likes dots and connecting them made the drama complete. Ofc, it has its basic steady plot too which is appealing (you can read it in the synopsis).

This drama also emphasizes on how a dead can communicate with the living from what they've left behind. This particular thing have touched the core of my heart and I'm sure it's been mesmerizing for everyone too.

The write has done very well in touching different forms if life in the guise of societal issues which will definitely fuel up the positive stances and enroute acceptance in people's midsets. The direction abd screenplay is simply like adding feather to a cap. Good job in cinematography too. The crew has done a commendable job here.

Then comes the cast. I swear to my happiness, the production has done a very good job in casting, be it the major characters or the guest characters, I would say they are the appropriate choice. I was so happy seeing soooo many guest characters.

Lee Jee Hoon, definitely one of the best Korean actors has once again won our hearts with his acting, played his character really well. Tang Joon Sang, being a newbie, I am sure this drama and his acting, will bring him enormous opportunity. He's so cute and was really good in playing someone with Asperger's syndrome. I like Hong Seung Hee in Navillera (another slice of life heart-warming drama) though her screen timing was limited and here she did good too.

EVERYTHING FELT SO BEAUTIFUL.

Let's talk about the ending. Let me say you that I am not okay with it. It has an open ending hinting for a new season but is that necessary? They could have closed the drama with the scene before the last scene too but they decided to extend it with a big twist. Idk what's in the writer's mind but I am looking forward to it. I was actually wishing there'd be more episodes given that it's soooo good, but am not happy because in most of the cases the dramas with extended seasons ended up getting messed. I really really hope it won't happen with MOVE TO HEAVEN.

*****

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This was really an exceptional drama! It's one of the best I've seen so far. Although the whole girl pretending to be a boy thing is not new, the setting and situation is fresh. This gives it a very different style than all the dramas it has been compared to. The beginning is slightly confusing if you have no knowledge of Korean history, traditions or culture. But as you watch, you will understand. I like how there is friendship built and emphasized as the characters encounter little twists and obstacles.

The characters play well off each other as their chemistry is greate and the actors are all well suited for their parts. And honestly, the guys are very cute :P

One notable thing about this drama is it gives you room to imagine in details yourself. For example, they don't necessarily give the full backstory of the characters. Instead they hint at many parts and let you create your own story for them in your mind.

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"Remember, your fate hangs on the tip of your blade." ~Zhou Fei

Legend of Fei is not only a Wuxia drama, but it has several cute love stories, an intriguing mystery, and a lesson that all of us should learn from. This drama is based on a popular Chinese novel with the same name by Priest, which I have not read before. (Translated version is only available as machine translation) Two large downsides to this drama were the the terrible editing skills, and unrealistic backdrop that was very obvious from time to time, but the lovable characters and fascinating storyline eventually overshadowed these disappointments. It is quite understandable that many would be unwilling to "wait" more than 20 episodes or so to finally get into the drama, and this is a barrier that everyone should be aware of before attempting the drama. With strong martial arts skills and intelligent thinking, Zhou Fei teaches us that we can achieve our dreams, but achievements are only the result of endless and persistent hard work. With many setting high expectations for a drama with their favorite actors or actresses, this rather low rating isn't very surprising, but I really enjoyed it.

Honestly, I don't even know if this contains spoilers. If it does, please message me about it.

Story-8.0
With the usual pugilistic world (Jianghu), there are admirable heroes who help others, but there are also people greedy for wealth and power. Zhou Fei is born into Forty-Eight Fortress, a sect founded by her grandfather (Li Zheng) known for its good deeds and efforts toward eliminating evil. Growing up, Zhou Fei had always been taught by her parents to only do good, to work hard. Her mother seems overly strict to her, but loves her more than anything in the inside. Zhou Fei longs to please her mother, and to achieve this goal, she plans on becoming a famous heroine. After a series of events, Zhou Fei meets Xie Yun, who appears carefree, and quite annoying. Zhou Fei leaves Fourty-Eight Fortress for the first time, and along with Xie Yun, her two cousins (Li Sheng and Li Yan) and some newly made friends, they start to uncover the reasons for the deaths of her grandfather and many other martial artists. The moves for the martial arts were choreographed fairly well, and it was clear that each actor and actress had put in a lot of effort to perfect their moves. I also really liked the costumes; Although they were simple, they fit perfectly for every character, and the light-weight clothing worked reasonably well to portray everyone's personalities. Each story behind the famous heroes are very motivating, and we learn lessons along with A'Fei. The story starts rather slowly and quite boring (and a few episodes could have been cut), but to make fire, wood is needed, and I promise, as the story progresses, it becomes more and more intriguing. There is no clear plot until episode 20-something, which disappointed many viewers. The story revolves around the idea that evil may seem to win, but oh no, it doesn't. Only with a kind heart can you rule the world.

A very important aspect of this drama is the mystery incorporated into it. An item said to be able to assist one into ruling the world was coveted by countless people, and this didn't exclude the evilest of the evil. In the later episodes of LoF, the main plot is revealed, and things do not cease to captivate.

Acting/Cast-8.5
Legend of Fei has some of the most lovable characters in the history of Wuxia characters, as well as some of the evilest. There were some with some annoying attributes, such as the Third Prince, who I still don't know why he was included in the story. We have quite a few comedic duos that give us quite a show, and each and every character has their own story, no matter if their journey throughout their life was tragic, hopeful, or just mediocre. Here are my descriptions of a few of the most influential protagonists and antagonists:

ZHOU FEI and XIE YUN- A strong-willed young girl, Zhou Fei had wild ambitions, but luckily, her ambitions were to do good for the world. (and impress her mother) She and Xie Yun start on a rather bad note, but friendship quickly links them. She discovers that the world outside of her home is not all that cheerful and fun, but rather dark and scary. A hatred towards the Demons starts to grow inside her after she learns of their countless evil deeds, and she manages to kill many of their leaders through the guidance of many martial art heroes and heroines she meets on her journey. The persistence in Zhao Liying's eyes are present throughout this drama, and her acting never fails to disappoint. (I am not a die-hard ZLY fan) Our female lead matures from a girl ambitious to be the best to a young woman who is admired by the many people she had helped. (may contain spoilers:)With a complicated past, Xie Yun is not your typical male lead. He and Zhou Fei first meet when Xie Yun "steals her father". Underneath his cheerful personality hides an unforgiving identity, which Zhou Fei and everyone else learns later in the drama. This identity isn't very surprising, but is crucial to the story. He is very agile, and always manages to escape the Demons without even exerting too much energy. As talkative as he is, he is also very intelligent, although he doesn't always show this aspect of his personality. In front of Zhou Fei, he is funny but also caring. Although Wang Yibo could be considered a rookie actor, he managed to pull off the complex personality of Xie Yun, which is quite impressive.

Wang Yibo and Zhao Liying do not have that fire chemistry, but their pairing was more than acceptable. It may be disturbing to some that ZLY is 10 years old than WYB, but their interactions in the drama made me forget about this irrelevant detail. Xie Yun and Zhou Fei are our troublemakers, they are really two peas in a pod. They only want the best for each other, and will go to the ends of the earth to save each other.

LI SHENG and WU CHUCHU- Another cute couple, Li Sheng and Chuchu are very adorable as well. Li Sheng never manages to beat Zhou Fei in martial arts, and was rather jealous of her. Later, though, he discovers that he doesn't always need to be #1, because as long as he can use his strong skills to help, he is satisfied. Even though he doesn't have the strongest martial arts skills, his leadership and intelligent are two of his main strengths. I found him particularly annoying in the beginning (because he was rude to A'Fei), but his smart and caring personality eventually stole me heart. His love interest, Wu Chuchu, was born with a silver spoon, but her parents are both killed mercilessly and she spends a large portion of her time with Zhou Fei and Li Sheng on the run. Some of her early actions were very frustrating, because she was doing some really dumb things, but her determination to avenge her parents led her to even start to learn some basic martial arts skills.

LI YAN, YANG JIN and YING HECONG- Oh boy, our three troublemakers. They are quite the trio! These three never fail to make me laugh, especially Yang Jin. His motion of rubbing his head is his most famous movement, and makes him appear dumb and useless, but he has some strong martial arts skills. The actor who portrayed him did a great job in showing his funny but strong personality. His love interest, Li Yan, could be said to be even dumber than Chuchu. I love her as well, but some of the things she did were very unexplainable, and led to all sorts of trouble. She wasn't a very crucial character here, but she did manage to add some comedic elements to the show. Last but not least, Ying Hecong, aka The Poisoner. I didn't really understand his presence until I realized that he was very knowledgeable in poison, and he eventually was a very helpful friend to A'Fei and everyone else, and like the others, after undergoing a tragedy or two, he musters up the courage to stand up for what is right. I loved this trio, they are hilarious.

HEROES/HEROINES- Without the wise and famous heroes and heroines, Zhou Fei couldn't have achieved what she did. Each and every martial artist gave her priceless life lessons, as well as had some of the most beautiful stories. Although most did not have much screen time, they each played a crucial role in fighting the Demons, and passed on their skills to Zhou Fei. Li Zheng and Duan Jiuniang had an unforgivable love story, while Ji Yuncheng was an honest man who couldn't forgive himself for a certain event. Madame Ni Chang was a great woman, and saved Zhou Fei and the others quite a few times. Unlike the Demons, these wise men and women were even willing to give up their life to keep the world at peace, and they probably could have a drama just about themselves!

DEMONS- Demons are demons, evil and merciless. They do not even know what the treasure is, but spent years trying to uncover it. Without these terrible characters, the drama could not have progressed, and the actors/actresses did quite phenomenally as the evil roles they portrayed. I wish that some of them got a closure where they learned the valuable life lesson, but even if none did, their satisfactory ending was enough. Each of the demon leaders had their own detestable personality, and not all of them wanted the treasure.

Music-8.0
The music in this drama wasn't very memorable, but it was far from bad. The OST could have been more delightful with a few more songs, and it was kind of a surprise that Zhao Liying didn't sing any of them. Wang Yibo did, and the tune and lyrics fit quite nicely. As for the background/instrumental music, they were very common in fighting scenes and calming scenes, and were also a snug fit. With the mysterious but upbeat music, the audience could predict that Zhou Fei would win the battle, or that some despicable Demon was about to be defeated. In Forty-Eight Fortress or with our Yunfei couple, the soft music showed us the beauty of peace.

Rewatch Value- 8.0
If I had to rewatch this drama, I would most likely skip the first 10-20 episodes, and go straight to when I started to actually make strong connections with the characters. I did enjoy the second half of the story, and did not skip a single part of it.

Overall-8.5
The start of the drama was a little disappointing and underwhelming but the ending was not, as well as the story as it progressed. Some interactions between the characters were hilarious, while others were tense and dark. We are given three cute couples as we followed the main characters' journey to eliminate evil and help the poor civilians. No matter what happened, Zhou Fei did not give up, and her persistence was the key to defeating the Demons. She and Xie Yun have a very valuable relationship, growing from an unfriendly encounter to unbreakable love. And without the amazing acting of every actor, this drama wouldn't have been able to portray the most important life lesson, which I'll leave for you to discover.

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Cheeky, cheerful and heartfelt, drops of suspense included

“Knight Flower” is set in Joseon days, yet it is no epic, historical KDrama in a classical sense. It has endearing comedy to offer, the touch of a romance and even a touch of crime thriller, while the setting back then in Joseon is accounted for predominant neo-Cunfucian social ethics in those days. In particular, back then being widowed was bad news for women, whatsoever. (See side note). This circumstance is providing the hook for a cheeky and fresh-minded KDrama plot.

In "Knight Flower", the widow simply cannot get herself to merely spending the rest of her long life in honorable, virtuous seclusion, mostly invisible to the rest of the world, trying not to be too much of a burden to her in-laws, and otherwise mourning the deceased husband (whom she never actually met) in the afterlife.
No, this widow does her own thing. She is not interested in being reduced to the virtue of mourning. During daytime, her everyday life is that of a honorable widow and decent daughter-in-law. Yet, at night she is dressed in black, wearing pants and a mask, climbing over walls, jumping over roofs and helping the poor – as "Midam", a kind of Robin Hood of Joseon. Such is her double life. All goes well, until one day...

While the plot is drawing its dynamic appeal from the actually rather sad background of a dubious tradition of treating widows (not only practiced in old Joseon, and not only back then…), the good news is: "Knight Flower", as a production broadcast in 2024, is built on intelligent emancipation, too. What is called for is not compliant bowing, but rather self-confident, creative solutions in dealing with life. Obviously South Koreans are craving for such a role model these days. The show was quite a success. People there apparently enjoyed it. So did I.

"Knight Flower" is cheeky, cheerful, and heartfelt, drops of suspense included, thus with alluring wit offering an enjoyably entertaining genre-mix.








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SIDE NOTE: --- Yeolnyeo or Yeolbu, the virtuous woman of Joseon ---

A loyal subject can only serve ONE king and a virtuous woman can only serve ONE husband. This perhaps briefly summarizes the core of the moral teachings of the period between the 14th century and the beginning of the 20th century. Practically speaking, this implied a widowed woman could face death penalty, if she ever wanted to marry again.

Women had to be obedient to their parents and in-laws. They had to honor their husband. And after his death the eldest son had the say... The greatest asset of a woman, besides bearing children, was her virtue. And that was eventually all that was left, if her husband might have died before herself. There was even granted an official award for valuing outstandingly honorable virtuous widows with the reputation of being a Yeolnyeo or Yeolbu. Thus they had to be particularly determined with living as a commendable model wife even after their husband´s death – according to all the rules regarding morals and daily routines as set out in detail in the book about good conduct for virtuous women…

However, the pressure on widows to be respected as Yeolnyeo became excessive over time. At some point it was even common for widows to consequently take their own lives, too, thus expressing their praiseworthy being loyal to the husband until the bitter end. In this way, they could posthumously provide their family (or that of their deceased husband) an honorable glory of virtue in which all family members could bask. Eventually, suicide was even expected of a widow – especially if she became a widow at a young age...

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Fighting for Stupidity

When I read the synopsis I was excited with the premise of a strong female character who excels in war strategies and becomes a female general. The FL is intelligent, devious at times and cross dresses as a man, there's a lot of male brotherhood camaraderie she develops with other male characters which is nice because sometimes its not all just about romantic love. While she is talented, the parts where she goes from commoner to elite fighting soldier with top notch archery and horsemanship skills was unrealistic.

The love story really falls flat in my opinion. The ML is good looking but he's a bumbling idiot supposed playboy. His character is really flat and not bright. Its hard to believe he can last as a general for even a minute. I can't really feel drawn to his character. The love story between them doesn't have any emotional pull, its a bit robotic and forced in the acting. Maybe its me but it might be more interesting to see two robots fall in love than the FL and ML.

The SML and the FL seems to have more chemistry as they are on opposing sides and the SML is smart and bold. I watched it because I wanted to see how their story unfolds even though its pretty clear the FL will not end up with the SML. They should have really developed their story more because it was more compelling and a bit more complex than the FL's love story arc with the ML.

Overall it could have been executed better, the last dozen or so episodes was a bit of fast forwarding. I completed it because I was curious how it works out between the FL and SML and how she breaks through to become a general.

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I'm a little surprised that I watched this entire show, because I was thoroughly disappointed by it early on. Too much of this drama just didn't make sense. First off - let's start with the title. While Yoon Se Na was an honest and well behaved girl, she was not lovely or playful, as many translations of the title says. I don't quite see why all the men wanted to spend time with her, because she really sucked the life out of each encounter she had with other humans. For this I mostly blame the script, and some wooden delivery of it. The show did not make me believe that Se Na actually wanted to be a songwriter, she just seemed coaxed into it by Hyun Wook. It also did not help that almost every secondary plot point was either underplayed or completely disappeared.

My Rating: 6.0

In Short: This love story between a boring young girl and a completely unprofessional CEO was truly dull at times and slightly enjoyable at others. The only plot point I enjoyed was lonely idol Shi Woo, though they could have done way more with that as well. SIGH

Pros: The setting is one that I usually enjoy, though it did not feel organic in this show. However, the lighting and filming is really enjoyable, and the dog is cute. The music was also quite good.

Cons: It really bugs me when most of the characters on the show are senior management for some company, and absolutely none of them know how to do their job. Everyone at ANA was unprofessional, and let their personal feelings decide at every turn. Also, the main lead kept his secrets (and lies) for about 8 episodes too long. And the last episode of the show was one of the worst episodes I have ever seen. Somehow, our leading lady was suddenly a complete a-hole for no specific reason.

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I watched this drama because of its good ratings and reviews. I'd say they're really well-deserved! For me, it is a great drama for many reasons. TMTETS was my first historical drama and after watching this, I would love to try more sageuks. It was truly beautiful to watch - the costumes, places, all the historical stuff, not to mention the good-looking actors! It was way too far from the boring drama I expected it to be.

STORY - Interesting storyline! It has great drama, touching romance, some suspense and action, (somehow annoying) politics, and humorous moments. And it gets more and more exciting as the story unfolded. I was easily moved with the story. What else could you ask for? I didn't expect to have lots of laughs from this drama. And of course, you'll see a lot of sad scenes, a lot of crying. But it wasn't until the last episode that I cried my eyes out! Really. Some were really heartbreaking. Some was just too illogical, and too sad, to happen. Other than that, the ending was lovely. (You'll laugh with still tears on your eyes.)
However, I can't get away with its downsides. I think the drama lost some of its energy on the second half. (Or I guess the first episodes were just too good!) I won't say there was no boring moment because there was some time that I just wanted to skip episodes and proceed to the last, I just find it predictable. (But I'm glad I didn't or else I could have lost the story.) BTW, I hate it when one character just can't move on, being so martyr, when he deserves to be happy.

ACTING/CAST - I loved to watch this drama bec. of Jung Il Woo. But in the end, I also learned to love Kim Soo Hyun. For his superb acting, and looks. He gave justice to his role as the King. (Young Lee Hwon was equally amazing.) I couldn't say any flaw. As for Il woo, he has always been good. Though I think I love his character here less. Han Ga In was a real beauty, but I honestly thing the younger Yeon Woo did her role better. I also enjoyed watching the side characters, each of them. The younger actors also did a great job that I quite got sad when their characters got older.

MUSIC - I love Back in Time and the instrumentals. I thinks they we're all perfect for the diff. moods of the series. But to be honest, I didn't get to appreciate its OST until I listened to it after finishing the drama.

REWATCH VALUE - I'm not into rewatching but I suppose I will still watch it in the distant future. :)

OVERALL - I give it a 9 overall. I love it to bits. Definitely a must-see. =))

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The end of the world can even change my taste in man?!

In a normal situation I would have hated Ritsu so much that I could not have enjoyed the drama. But with this set-up, I have to say, while I still don't really agree with how it turned out, it makes sense! They have found a reason to live, regardless of the end of the world, now it's up to them to make this reason flourish


Overall:
The HISTORY is super interesting! Especially the little details about the characters that are revealed in each episode. And Yuuma ... I won't say anything because it is a spoiler but I loved Yuuma's part in this story, I found him strange, magical but kind of lovely

The CAST was not bad at all! I read the manga before watching the drama and I think their interpretation was quite good.

I loved the MUSIC, especially the last song! I think the music reflected the melancholy but bright world they lived in.

A little note, I didn't like masumi's comment about meguru's clothes, but it's a very small scene and he kind of redeemed himself later on

In general I recommend it! It's not the usual highschool drama, some of the themes can be a bit heavy but the execution of the plot was done well in my opinion and FOUND FAMILY VIBES!! If you like this theme you must watch it✨

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