Perfect Chemistry
Our Skyy 2: Star in My Mind is an interesting case of the special episodes being way better than the series itself. The plot, while simple, managed to correct some of the series' mistakes. For instance, the supporting characters now have their own stories and relationships -- Typhoon got his happy ending, and the other friends had things to care about aside from Dao and Kluen's relationship.Another highlight of the episodes was the important message about jealousy. In many BL series, jealousy is presented as hot, but it is not -- being jealous of your partner means that you are insecure in your relationship with them. It was so great to see Dao underscore this.
Most importantly, Joong and Dunk have more chemistry than a Chemistry textbook. If in Star in My Mind they had good chemistry, here it is through the roof. They are one of the few on-screen pairings -- not only in BL, but in movies and series in general -- whose characters I can genuinely believe love each other, are in a relationship, and have slept together.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by these two episodes. Even those of you who did not enjoy the series much might like them.
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Her Story
25 people found this review helpful
1This review may contain spoilers
It is not a fun movie, yet it is radiating truly positive energy in spite of its appalling topic
"Herstory" is an example of a highbrow KMovie, which has real life as its subject and at the same time influences real life as an impact of the movie reception.It is about the lawsuit brought by a handful of "Comfort Women" from Busan - actual long forgotten/ignored sex slaves for the Japanese soldiers during the Second World War. The trial took place between 1992 and 1998 in Japan. This noteworthy trial set in motion the resolution of a rather dark chapter in recent Asian history.
It was about time to not look away anymore. The subject of "Comfort Women" was until then a taboo subject even in South Korea. The refered to court hearing in the 1990s was actually a milestone in the reappraisal of this chapter. Thus the KMovie "Herstory" is a poignant, publicly effective monument to this chapter in history and honoring the affected, victimized and long forgotten women (and their advocats).
"Herstory" is sensitively illustrating the painful path to this (no less painful) trial as well as its dramatic individual cases. The KMovie becomes the mouthpiecer of at least a few of those women´s fates and at the same time a touching memorial, arousing the awareness of the cruel war crimes committed against civilian women.
It is not a fun movie, yet it is radiating a tuely positive energy in spite of its appalling topic! I consider it in several respects highly valuable.
It is about empowerment and sisterhood. The cast ist outstanding.
This movie is confronting glorious ´his´stories with ´his´ rather tabooed ignominious behaviours... and thus make it ´her´stories.
---------------- SIDE NOTE --- Historical Comfort Women in World War II ---
For a long time, the fate of an estimated 200.000 Korean young women and girls, who were traumatized as sex slaves by the Japanese military during World War II, went unnoticed by the world. Until the 1990s their existence was a taboo - even in South Korea! In fact, Japan's government and military recruited (mostly) Korean young women and girls. They were used against their will in so-called "comfort stations" as "Comfort Women" for motivation of the armed forces - i.e. as sex slaves being abused by the sodliers.
Officially, this fact was (and still is to some extent) vehemently denied by the Japanese side and hasn´t been clarified for more than 5 decades, let alone talked about reparations. However, in terms of international law, what happened has to be considered war crimes, crimes against humanity, as well as slavery and trafficking in women and children - crimes they are. However, the war crimes tribunals after the end of the Second World War were more concerned with crimes against members of the Allies. So in public THOSE crimes against civilian women were forgotten.
With this particular court hearing the movie is refering to, for the first time a verdict in favor of the (comparably few) plaintiffs was at least partially reached. The ladies, who had meanwhile aged, were actually awarded a ridiculously small amount of compensation. So the verdict is still outrageous, but a verdict nonetheless. Nevertheless, as a result, the story of comfort women was publicized for the first time and an international reparation movement was launched.
Obviously the topic had appeared on the table ... but it was still not legally clarified. On the contrary. The issue as such (and its many and even more individuale cases) have still not been satisfactorily resolved ... while most of the actual victims have by now died of age.
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A bustling place, or a battleground, a life of absurdity, a story of mistakes and regrets - KUNNING
Story of kunning palace is an intriguing spin about Jiang xuening, daughter of a minister official who made her way to being an empress with the price of betrayal towards her loved ones. Her greed lead to her own demise, with woes and regrets. By the grace of God, she gets another chance to turn the wheels of fate, prevent the mishaps, and change her mistakes from past life.And coming back to main review:
- the plot is fabulous. The acting, dialogue delivery it was all beyond my expectations. The chemistry between all the leads is no joke. It has dynamics between " fl- male bestfriend" " evil lady- upright official", and "enemies to lovers" troupe! And guys, we have ANGST, one of my super fav genre. Romance isn't the main genre since it's a slow burn, but whenever it's there, it's insane level!
The ambigious atmosphere is once again no joke. Some scenes are insanely hot and seducing, gosh, my heart still can't calm down. The fact that she has ambigious vibe with literally all the leads is even more insanely heart fluttering. ( I hope my constant use of the word 'insane' can explain how good this is)
I love the opening in the drama, it kinda sums up the whole angsty past life which answers lots of question in our mind and makes the first few episodes less confusing. The style of using dialogues in opening song is new, and I am loving it.
The story contains lots of twists and turns, revenge, unopened secrets and plottings etc etc etc. it's not just romance guys, there's a lot of more than that to it. The tension of revenge in each scene. The anxiety of being caught or betrayed, the excitement of plotting against enemies, is so satisfying. It's not only well written but also a well delivered plot. I personally did not find plotholes, everything was well covered (ofc unless you are curious about lots of things). Each and every little action serves as great potential for further plot developement.
Most importantly, the growth of each character is so beautifully sketched and that doesn't just include the main leads, but many of the supporting character too. It's a tearjerking yet satisfying revenge.
The rebirth may not have changed some of their fates, but it has given them the happiness and satisfaction of being needed, loved, and gave them the oppurtunity of finding their real selves and holding the mirror to them, the themselves that deserved to be shown to the world.
The acting doesn't need questioning to it, so I won't be wasting time on it.
The costumes were so well planned with their character and personality. I will be writing a spoiler with spoiler alert on it at the very end. It's not exactly a spoiler, but more of costume analysis with character sketch. You can choose to read or not.
Negative points of drama:
1) Not a fan of director's camera. Either the camera angles are weird at few scenes and the blinding lights take away your attention. And also there's green and pink filter making its way home. Hope that could be amended in his new works. But don't worry, that doesn't affect the thrill and excitement much. You are still gonna fall in love with this drama.
2) A certain death did not convince me, not gonna say much about this point since it could become a major spoiler again. But once again these two points are minute points. So you better not hesitate to watch the drama just because of these two points.
So to sum it all up if your are fan of following genre:
- smart, quirky and black bellied fl
- domineering, yandre and black bellied ml
- reverse harem
- angst
- well plot revenge
- power struggles
- best retribution to evil character
This is exactly your type! Congratulations you have a recommendation in your 'must watch list'. Trust me, you wouldn't wanna miss this!
_______________________________________________________________________________
COSTUME ANALYSIS
Jiang xuening: She mostly wears blue costume with a hint of orange shade which signifies her wish to live a peaceful and serene life, yet her witty, spontaneous and bold personality.
Jiang Xuehui: She is often seen wearing purple which depicts that even though she is a girl who looks calm outside, she has a stubborn personality in her. In the last episode, she is shown wearing light red colour dress which telss us her current life is filled with happiness and the feeling of abundance.
Xie Wei: In the former episodes, he is shown wearing dark black or blue colours which represents him as a sad, evil, mystery, cunning, and rebellious character who is willing to die for his revenge. But in latter episodes after he starts falling for JXN and acknowledges his trusted and close family, he starts realising that revenge and death aren't his only goal in life, he must live with and for his loved ones, he starts letting go of his burdens, and hence with his changing beliefs and growth, his clothes colour change to a lighter shade of blue signifying his wish to live a peaceful life.
Zhangzhe: is mostly shown wearing red official costume signifying his morale and upright personality. He is also shown in light shades of grey and green showing his calm and reliable personality.
Xue shu: She is often shown wearing that unlikeable pink colour which looks pretty from outside, when seen as a small object to huge background of grasses and stones, but looking at it up close could annoy you and disturb your emotions psychologically to the point that you would feel like tearing it off. After you start cohabiting with that colour, it series and disgusts you, giving you vibe of fake superficialness. The pink gives a colour of graceful, kind and compassion to her personality from outside, but interacting her could make you realise that she is exactly that shade of pink which disgusts you after you get acquainted with it, depicting exactly that character of novel, whose mere sight disgusts you, you would feel like slapping everytime you look at her.
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I’m seated.
sometimes you just forget what good quality is when it comes to Thai BL shows. I’m not trying to knock other shows, and of course there are some great quality Thai BLs out there. But sometimes everything just falls into place in a way you weren’t expecting.so, I’m not one to write reviews before a series is over; however, Jack & Joker knocked my socks off. not just with storyline, but quality as well. in the first episode we are getting back stories of the MCs… or shall I say their villain origin stories and honestly I. AM. HERE. FOR. It. I might be the problem, but I love a good red flag, anti hero story and even though we are only just starting this journey I believe that’s what we are going to get.
I’m seated. this to me is KinnPorsche level quality, and I am foaming at the mouth wanting more.
oh Joker, the anti hero we didn’t know we wanted has becoming something we need.
I can already see this being my top Thai BL of the year which is wild since I didn’t think anything would dethrone my stand in, yet here we are.
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Just read the novel instead.
This movie has changed and disrespected the original source material to the point where it's completely unrecognizable, from the little details to the overall messages and symbolism that ORV tried to convey, everything had been completely butchered. As an adaptation, it fails in every aspect. As a movie, the cinematography is amateurish, the script sounds AI generated, the CGI is a joke, and some actors with major supporting roles are just completely sidelined for no particular reason; it's underwhelming, to say the least.This isn't a matter of an "accurate adaptation" anymore. This is setting a precedence for future adaptations to completely mess up a beloved story by removing all the aspects that make it good in the first place. ORV isn't loved because it's a generic male power fantasy, it's loved because the story subverts this. By stripping away everything to adhere to the general audience's expectations, there won't be anything left to love. There is genuinely so many things wrong with this movie from the erasure of Korean history to even misogyny (which wouldn't be noticed if viewers don't know the original story).
ORV is a love letter for its readers, but this movie spat on it, tore it with a paper shredder, stomped on it repeatedly, burned it, and threw the ashes into the ocean.
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Acting was great though, characters and the band itself were soo wholesome! It's nice to take a break from dramas with too many shitty characters. Anyways, as I always say, I base my ratings on overall enjoyment. The show was not the best of the year but it was a comfortable and cozy watch. 7.5.
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1This review may contain spoilers
The Crown Was Beautiful, But the Romance Was Everything
Perfect Crown is the kind of drama that reminds you why rom-coms became so beloved in the first place. It has been such a long time since we got a drama that truly understood both the romance and comedy genres and delivered them this well. Was it cheesy? Absolutely. Was it cringe at times? Definitely. But did that stop me from watching? Not even once. Because the tropes were executed so well that they never felt tiring or overly cliché. The drama took familiar rom-com elements and gave them its own charm and uniqueness, which is honestly the best part about it.The first half of the drama was nearly seamless for me. It hit every spot a rom-com should hit and kept me completely hooked. The first episode alone was powerful, but somehow the following episodes became even better. I loved how the characters were introduced, but what truly stayed with me was the first meeting between Grand Prince Ian and Hui Ju. That entrance scene at the little king’s birthday banquet? Absolutely unforgettable. It has genuinely haunted me ever since. Byeon Wooseok didn’t just play a regal prince, he was a regal prince. The aura, the posture, the expressions… he embodied the role perfectly.
IU, on the other hand, was wonderful as Seong Hui Ju. Her character reminded me a little of Jang Man Wol from Hotel del Luna — strong, sharp, intimidating at times, yet still carrying a soft and vulnerable side underneath. I loved that balance so much. I was also pleasantly surprised by how attached I became to the sibling relationship between Hui Ju and her brother. At first, they seemed like the typical hostile siblings we often see in dramas, but the writer actually gave their bond depth and sincerity. That unconventional development honestly elevated the drama even more for me.
The second half leaned more into palace drama and politics, though if I’m being honest, the politics were never the main attraction for me. What completely stole the show was the growing romance between Hui Ju and Grand Prince Ian. The drama fully embraced its rom-com identity and continuously gave us iconic, heartfelt, and sometimes ridiculously adorable moments between the two. Yes, there were villains, schemes, and political conflicts along the way, but I barely cared about them because I was so invested in the romance.
Did the drama have flaws? Of course. Was it perfect? No. But was it worth every bit of excitement, joy, and emotional investment? Absolutely. This is the type of drama you enjoy most when you stop expecting it to be something it was never trying to be. If you simply allow yourself to get immersed and enjoy the ride, Perfect Crown becomes an incredibly entertaining, lighthearted, and genuinely romantic experience. This drama screams ROMCOM from beginning to end, and no one can convince me otherwise.
A lot of people focused heavily on the political side and criticized it, but honestly, I do not think the politics were ever meant to be the core of the story. The romance was the plot’s center point. However, despite being romance-driven, the drama still had emotional depth. Every major character had growth, struggles, and a journey of their own. Most importantly, the love story between Hui Ju and Grand Prince Ian was developed beautifully and with so much care.
Also, I have to mention the little king because he was genuinely one of the cutest parts of the drama. Every scene with him made me smile.
As for the ending, I never once doubted that we would get a happy ending but, somehow the drama still exceeded my expectations. I absolutely loved that they gave us more romantic and sweet moments after the monarchy’s abolishment because we truly needed to see more of their married life together. A royal baby would have been the perfect cherry on top, but honestly, I was already incredibly satisfied with the conclusion we got.
The pacing was also surprisingly solid for a 12-episode drama. I have seen far worse rushed endings in dramas with similar lengths, where the main leads barely get a few minutes together in the finale. Perfect Crown, however, gave us a satisfying and emotionally fulfilling ending that felt rewarding instead of rushed, and I genuinely appreciated that.
IU was splendid as Seong Hui Ju, and Byeon Wooseok truly showed growth in his acting as Grand Prince Ian. There were multiple scenes where both of them absolutely excelled emotionally, so it honestly surprises me whenever people call their performances bland. In my opinion, they completely outperformed themselves here. I also think this partnership showcased their strongest chemistry to date compared to their previous co-stars. Their chemistry was so magnetic and natural that it might genuinely take me a while to adjust to seeing them paired with other actors in future projects.
The supporting cast was assembled so well too. I loved the secretaries, the little king, and even the Queen Mother. Yes, I disliked her in the earlier episodes, but her actress was absolutely captivating on screen. As for the Prime Minister… I could not care less about him as a character because he was such a coward, but I did enjoy the actor’s performance.
At the end of the day, I am genuinely glad I did not rely on the overly negative reviews and ratings on MDL because I would have missed out on such an enjoyable gem of a drama. Perfect Crown gave me exactly what I wanted: romance, comedy, memorable chemistry, emotional moments, and characters I became attached to. It is definitely a drama I can see myself rewatching years from now.
For me, Perfect Crown had one of the best castings and one of the most enjoyable rom-com experiences in recent years.
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All of the actors did a good job. That little Kim So Hyun who just turned 16 is no joke. I could tell the difference between the twins Eun Bi and Eun Byul at a glance. She is a talented actress and I hope she doesn't lose that appeal as she grows up. The other actors are good too. I like Yook Sung Jae in Plus Nine Boys and he was cute in this also. I have to say though that some of these people are too old to play high school students and they look it.
The music is good.
I won't rewatch it, but it is rewatchable.
I recommend this for a younger viewer and it is enjoyable for all ages.
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I am sure that if someone with a critical eye was to peruse through this review, they'd "Tsk Tsk" just like El Temur did to show his condescension for things he thought beneath him but I am past the point of caring. For I am hopelessly and utterly in love with everything about this drama, blissfully ignorant to all of its flaws and honored to have witnessed characters that made me feel all there was to feel and more.
After I was done with it, I felt so emotionally spent that it was almost physical. Every waking moment of my existence had been consumed by this production and the withdrawal symptoms were kicking in with a vengeance. Now, there is so much to say, but not enough words. I want to shout its praises from the rooftops but I'll settle for writing this review that can't possibly ever truly deliver the amount of feeling I had for this drama.
This is a story about vengeance, lust for power, loyalty, sacrifice, the blurry line between good and evil, the ugly side of human nature and lastly one woman's quest for justice. You cannot go into this if you don't want to get invested because trust me you will. It will possess you and maneuver you around like a puppet until its characters' emotions are your own, their pain your pain, their heartbreak your heartbreak and it will make you want to burst from all the sensory overload.
If I am to be honest, I admit that I have never seen a more brilliant piece of acting before. From the minute roles to the colossal one's every single act is done with perfection.
This was my first time watching Ha- Ji Won and six episodes in, I had already added her to my favorite actress list and vowed that I will not stop until I had followed her into every show she ever starred in. Simply put, she is my Queen. Her acting is so real and raw that it breaks you every time and leaves you in awe. It's really no surprise that she won a Daesang for her role.
I don't think I have ever felt more strongly for any female heroine before Niang. The intensity of love that I felt for her was crazy. She's a woman of power, deadly beyond measure, a master mind and the definition of strength. In Asian Dramas, there is always more talk than walk about how intellectual the heroine is. Producers use the classic element of make believe and create so much hype that people really start to see the MC as smart and witty even when there are no visible actions to back it up. In the synopsis it would be stated repeatedly how much of a genius she is, the characters in the show would boast about her relentlessly but in reality she usually turns out to be a hollow personality-less beauty vessel constructed on baseless compliments.
Niang doesn't roll that way. She is the real deal from the start; a highly intelligent woman, a schemer, a warrior, a meticulous planner and a ruthless executioner. She doesn't need other people to gass her up, because everything she does speaks for itself. She doesn't require saving because she is the savior. She is a Queen in every sense of the word and honestly, I would rather kill everyone -love interest or not- if they dared hurt her. My heart clenched whenever she faced a setback, my fists pumped and I screamed joyfully every time she was victorious, I cried with her, I smiled with her and I rooted for her every single time. I can honestly sing odes in way of her perfection and it would still not be enough.
Before I started with the drama, I had heard a lot of praise for Ji Chang Wook and when I saw his face and got a glimpse of the character he played I had instantly stuck my nose up, jutted my foot out and turned the other way. I thought that there was no way that I'd ever root for such a privileged, weak and spoiled wimp of a Prince. It didn't help that I had hated characters like him in the past (See: Goo Joon Piyo from Boys over flower, Mike He from Full house, Yune from MiSa) but as I watched, piece by piece the ice around my heart fell off until I was effectively boarded and happily sailing on his ship.
Ji Chang Wook is a gem and I truly believe he deserved a Daesang too. Ta Hwan is a highly flawed character and an anti-hero at best. He's selfish, cowardly, naive and obsessive. For one good deed is followed by a hundred missteps on his part and there were multiple times where I wanted to just slap him senseless. But despite all this, JCW made me fall in love with him. A lesser actor or any other actor for that matter, couldn't have even dreamed to do the same.
He's the type of character that you'd love to hate and hate to love but soon enough you see the deep scars he harbors, the purity of his heart and you understand him. In a palace full of people under his command, he's utterly lonely, horribly abused by everyone he trusts, constantly forced into his insecurities and you cannot help but weep for him and the pain he has had to suffer. Once you understand him, every horrible action he commits doesn't make you hate him, rather it breaks your heart. I had so much affection for him that I bawled every time he was either volatile, helpless or bordering on insanity. I honestly prayed for his relief.
As for the other male lead, I had my doubts about Joo Jin Mo at times but soon, I realized that he held his own too. Even though I felt like Wang Yu was way too likable I did come to adore him. The loyalty his men showed to him, his persistence in fighting for his country and his devotion to Niang warmed my heart. Plus, the guy has really beautiful and expressive eyes.
As far as the couple ships are concerned, Ta Hwan and Niang was the only one that made sense to me. Sure, Wang Yu and Niang have some heart warming moments and their love for each other is supposed to be strong but the moments between Ta Hwan and Niang are simply emotionally intense. There is so much misery between them but their relationship is powerful. She builds him up when he's nothing, she's his support system and his love for her is obsessive because in the midst of so much cruelty she is his only friend and confidante. The only time he attempts to be selfless is when he's with her and she makes him want to be a better man.
Tbh, they both were my babies and they absolutely dominated the show.
The beauty of this show is that everything bad that could possibly happen; happens. In most shows you don't have to guard your heart because you're sure that when things are their absolute worse, a convenient plot device will somehow come in handy and save the characters from catastrophe but here, there is no such luck. The villains are extremely fleshed out and three dimensional which makes it all the more easy to despise them. This drama truly depicts that 'evil is bad that believes it's good' and that is the most dangerous thing about the awful one's because somehow they all have reasons that are wholly justified in their eyes. People I liked transitioned into horrible power hungry monsters and people I hated with a passion tried to force me to feel pity for them. It was such a mixture of charcoal and pristine that I was constantly in a whirlwind.
I'm not going to lie; I bawled a lot in this drama. However, none of my tears flowed when people died or were killed rather they were for the tiny moments; the moments where the helplessness of the characters was shown, the moments where they are trying their best to hold on but falling apart, when they are striving to fight madness but stumbling and it's so beautifully heartbreaking that it wrenched out sobs from me.
This drama is filled with small immensely impactful scenes that combine to make the whole production powerful.
The side characters are very strong and multiple story-lines make the drama diverse and interesting. I majorly love me some Tal Tal; the smart, loyal and brooding man that you just can't get enough of. Wang Yu's men were always a source of happiness; Jokho and many others too make the list.
One thing I agree with many reviewers was that I too wanted the MC's to take a breather. From start to finish they are battling complication after complication and I desperately wanted the sweet moments to be drawn out and for them to bask a little more in the fleeting happiness they were granted. I mean, I wanted to see the faces I love express joy so badly that after finishing the show, I spent hours watching behind the scenes and blooper videos to lighten my heart and seeing those actors laugh and goof around filled me with inexplicable warmth.
As far as the ending is concerned, I'll dole out the same advice a friend gave to me and that is to not dread the tragedy too much for it's something that's bound to happen and you might actually find it quite acceptable. Who knows?
I have said so much, yet I feel that there is so much more to say. I am positive that I can write a thesis on my love for this drama and still not be satisfied so I'm going to end this here.
Every single second of this is nerve wracking in some way, the violence isn't over-produced, the action scenes are beautiful, the dialogues are excellent and although I never really re-watch seasons even when I say that I will, this is one season that I'm absolutely certain that I will binge re-watch and will most probably once again, be strung like a live wire because of all the feels.
An undeniable must watch.
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John Wick female version with cool cinematography
It was John Wick female version.....There was nothing much to the plot nor a lots of dialogues... Just simple revenge story with cool fighting scenes. The acting was not bad either. Tbh there was nothing much to act except the scenes wth the friend....
What I loved the most abt this is the cinematography and the use of colours...it was all shades of orange.. A lot like Wong Kar Wai movie....
The cinematography alone was enough to keep me watching this to the end..
It was a fun watch for one time watching. Not sure about the re-watch value
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SOKP: Where Royal Intrigues Are More Complicated Than Your Ex's New Relationship Status
HOLD ON TO YOUR IMPERIAL HATS, DRAMA ENTHUSIASTS!!!Because "Story of Kunning Palace" is the kind of show thats more addictive than a caffeine IV drip. SOKP is not your typical tea-sipping romance-infused drama, its a captivating enigma wrapped in a historical conundrum, with more plot twists than a labyrinth. Its a tale where reverse harem meets mystery, and every character is so swoon worthy, even the palace walls are blushing <3
Bai Lu, our badass heroine, here as Jiang Xue Ning isnt just conquering hearts; shes slaying political foes and looking fabulous doing it💋There r 2 handsome dudes Zhang Zhe and Yan Lin, both vying for her attention like contestants in a royal reality show. Its a reverse harem showdown & jiang xue ning is the unwitting queen bee, swatting away admirers like theyr pesky palace mosquitoes. Jiang xue nings heart is like a rubiks cube & the poor guys—Yan Lin, Zhang Zhe, and Xie Wei are all trying to crack the code. Basically its a love triangle turned hexagon.
Now our man Zhang Ling He as Xie Wei; handsome as a greek god and jaw sharper than a ninja throwing star (HAD TO MENTION THAT LMFAO) isnt just part of the harem circus. Hes the unsung hero, & a guardian angel silently dropping nuggets of wisdom and occasionally facepalming at the chaos around him. Hes the guy secretly supporting jiang xue ning like a lovestruck ninja in the shadows. Beneath his sarcastic remarks & harsh words, lies a love so deep it makes Titanics jack and rose look like they had a casual fling. It felt as if watching a superhero show where the hero doesnt realize hes the hero, and the audience is collectively screaming, "Dude, shess right thereee!!!!!!"
The Xie wei mens trio, they are real comedy gem in this drama. The hilarious sidekicks, the MVPs of comedic relief, and the reason you'll be snorting your tea while trying to keep up with palace politics.
But lets talk plot, Jiang xue ning, after a bad ending in her past life, is back in the same palace, courtesy of fates twisted sense of humor, i guess. As if someone hit the "replay" button (quite literally) on her royal misadventures, and shes trying to navigate the maze of intrigue on her own.
Xie wei, our handsome badass, is so oblivious to his own feeling, he doesnt even realize hes fallen in love. Jiang xue ning is the oblivious queen, zhang zhe & yan lin are the competing court jesters, and xie wei is the dashing main character with a heart so hidden even he cant find it. Jiang xue ning remains blissfully unaware of the love vibes radiating from him & xie wei himself is probably wondering why his heart does the cha cha cha every time shes in the room ✨😝
Theres another baddie xue shu, the queen of making you simultaneously root against her. Shes got more schemes than a bond villain. Is she the villain?? the antihero?? or just a girl boss ahead of her time?? The plot is so mysterious and intriguing that an award winning storywriter would be taking notes.
Now, lets talk about the cast; stellar performances that could make a stone statue emote. Its like watching a masterclass in acting, with every eyebrow raise and dramatic pause deserving an award.
"Story of Kunning Palace" isnt just a drama; its a royal rollercoaster of emotions, a comedy of errors & a mystery that'll have u yelling. Seriouslyy. the chemistry is so palpable m surprised the screen hasnt caught fire yet. This drama isnt just good; its SO good its suspicious. its almost like finding a four leaf clover in a field of dandelions.. rare and borderline unbelievable.
As the grand tradition of slow burns, 'Story Of Kunning Palace' leaves us with a burning desire for more, more romance, more drama, and definitely more zhang ling he & bai lu moments that have us reaching for fire extinguishers. If ur not watching this drama, ur missing out on a hilarious, heartthrobbing, and mysteriously addictive masterpiece. I had alottt of fun watching this drama so i bet u will have too!!!! so GRAB ur popcorns & prepare for a journey so entertaining, even shakespeare wouldve been jealous ;D
Signing off
Thanks for reading the review <3
Yours, Angel
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A disappointing barely-BL.
The series is framed by a class about love, wherein the students in the class are paired off in heterosexual couples to do a bunch of love experiments. Two girls pair up, because one is in love with the professor, and the other has a stalker, so she's terrified of all men (except Jiwoo, who's too tiny to be scary).That means that two boys have to pair off, and off we go.
This is a BL, and yet the class doesn't even attempt to address same-sex relationships, or anything not heteronormative. The most we get is that the professor allows the same sex pairings. To be frank, nobody should need his permission.
Because the stalked girl (Yuna) isn't afraid of Jiwoo, she allows him to escort her home, which draws him into the stalker mess.
This is a series that could have worked if it were twice as long. It simply had too much going on, a lot of it totally unnecessary, to cover in six brief episodes. Almost the entire story is about Jiwoo pursuing Yuna and dealing with her stalker. There almost no BL whatsoever.
Then, we skip all the processing it might take to go from identifying as straight and being in love with a girl to going gay. Jiwoo changes like a light switch being flipped, and Roa, who loves him, rejects him based on truly incomprehensible reasoning, then abandons his life and runs off to the sea. But we do have time for a silly girl's antics and pursuit of her professor and Roa's intrusive asshole roommate.
This story is so disjointed and lacking in any organic character or relationship development that I felt absolutlely nothing at the end.
The series doesn't fail because it's short, it fails because it's a long story that was crammed into a short space. For contrast, watch the 8-minute BL short Please Tell Me So on YouTube, also starring Han Hyun Jun - this does a much better storytelling job despite its brevity.
I'm often told that I should unconditionally support Korean BL because it's new there (It isn't. Long Time No See was made in 2017, less than a year after SOTUS) and operating in a homophobic environment (welcome to the continent of Asia). Why? I support good Korean BL like Semantic Error - I have no responsibility to support borderline gay-baiting like this, which is a cynical attempt to exploit a fashionable genre without having to commit to it. This is not a m/m romance, it's a story about stalking, with a shallow and cliched15-minunte BL stapled to the end of it.
Story: Since this is marketed as a BL, I have to rate the writing as a BL, so 3. I liked that Jiwoo's first hints of attraction to Roa was from seeing him shirtless rather than trip/catch/stare or accidetal kiss.
Acting: 7.5. Han Hyun Jun is more like a 9, most of the rest are fine, and Kim Tae Hwan is OK but a bit stiff.
Music: It's there.
Rewatch: 2 - I wouldn't watch it again, but I might revisit a couple of scenes that I liked.
Overall: 5. My overall opinion was that it was bad, but didn't look like it was bad. It's competently produced, but the story is just not interesting as a BL and skips too much that is important. I really hope someone puts Han Hyu Jun in something much better than this because he is talented and just adorable.
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Arsenal Military Academy
87 people found this review helpful
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It didn't give what it was supposed to give
*Sigh*I was really looking forward to this one.
I rewatched Go-Go Squid just before I watched Dt. Appledog's time, and I wish I hadn't.
In short, it's no match for Go-Go Squid. My head hurts from how BORING it was. The plot was just okay. I was really hoping for more, but I think the original Go-Go Squid cast is what made it so GOOD. This cast just didn't have the same chemistry as the old one. The sets also didn't feel the same, KK headquarters felt... Cold? The GGS KK headquarters felt like home, but the set they chose to felt so empty.
I was glad to see Hu Yi Tian finally saying sentences, and his chemistry with Li Yi Tong wasn't too bad either. I was rooting for them the whole time but couldn't bear to watch their story through.
I think this drama might be interesting to people who have not seen Go Go Squid, but if you haven't seen it yet watch GGS first! Don't bother with this one :p
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