1Sometimes shine means surviving the mess and not just looking pretty!
This isn’t your regular popcorn BL where two pretty boys flirt under fairy lights and call it a day. This drama throws us headfirst into late 1960s to early 1970s Thailand, with student protests, political unrest, family power plays, and a couple of messy love stories that refuse to stay cute for long. It’s ambitious, dramatic, sometimes painfully slow, but also the kind of drama that slowly grows on you.At the center of the story, we have Trin. He is a freshly returned professor who went abroad, got a fancy education, read way too many books on morality and came back thinking he could change the world. The only problem was that the world does not bend that easily. On first glance, he is an example of what an idealist looks like in a realist world, but once we scratch that intellectual exterior, he is just a man still figuring out not just politics, but love, loss and why the hell he feels so drawn to someone as chaotic as Tanwa.
Then there is Tanwa. If Trin is bottled-up intensity, Tanwa is glitter in human form. He was this free-spirited hippie type, all colour and laughter, the guy you think doesn’t take anything seriously… until you realise his chaos is just a cover for very real issues. He hides grief under jokes, he masks loyalty under carelessness and when he finally lets his guard down, it hits harder than any lecture Trin could deliver.
Together, these two are opposites in the best and worst ways. Watching them stumble into each other’s paths felt less like “love at first sight” and more like “love at fifth breakdown.” Somehow, they balanced each other out. But as much as I adore them, I can't help but was expecting more romance. It felt underfed but maybe a little more to justify those strong emotions.
But honestly, if we are talking about sizzling chemistry, the crown might belong to Krailert and Naran. Where Trin and Tanwa are all about the slow-burn romance, Krailert and Naran are pure forbidden spice.
Krailert is in the military, married and duty-bound. Ohh, and also gay. Naran, on the other hand, is a journalist who is sharp-tongued and already engaged ( because clearly one doomed relationship wasn't enough). When they met, it was anything but gentle. It's reckless, desperate and dripping with that forbidden love tension.
I know it's a moral crash, but somehow I couldn't help but root for them despite them sometimes making trash choices. It felt illegal, but they were magnetic in a way only fictional disaster couples can be.
We also have Victor, who is equal parts irritating and endearing. He is young, idealistic and a little naive but I couldn't help but root for him. His crush on Trin could have been a disaster, but the writing handled it really well. He was brash and bright, and somehow I wished he had escaped that hell to live a life he deserved. *sigh*
What works best is how layered the characters feel. Everyone is dragging around some kind of baggage...political, personal, or both and the drama doesn’t sugarcoat it. No one felt like a picture-perfect character. The best I could define all of them was contradictory, messy but very humane.
The Ladies of Shine also deserve an honorary mention. They weren’t front and center, but lowkey they held everything together for the most part..silent but so powerful. Especially Moira not bending to societal pressure.
Edit : I went and re-watched the scene with Dhevi in the last episode and somehow I thought it was the years of sufferings speaking, but no she was just being petty and selfish. I have no honor left for her to give!
It felt like love in a pressure cooker where one wrong move ruined lives, but somehow danger also amplified the intimacy. Watching Lert and Naran cluth each other like drowning men while the world burns and Trin and Tanwa side by side talking about hope and despair, is the kind of romance that thrives on extremes but feels very intimate.
Also, the NC scenes were choreographed really well, leaving no stone unturned. (I wish I were exaggerating xD)
But it isn't without flaws. The politics subplot is very heavy-handed and sometimes it felt draggy and a bit boring. It might be a personal issue because I don't enjoy the politics trope much. Also, at times, I felt too much spotlight was given to different subplots, which could have been given to the main couple.
And while Trin and Tanwa’s relationship is sweet, there are moments where their intimacy feels rushed. There is also a constant heaviness that can get exhausting.
As for the acting, it is pretty solid across the board. Apo as Trin was perfect in my eyes, especially in the emotional moments. I can't even nitpick. Mile as Tanwa brought the chaos and had the perfect brat energy when needed but quickly balances it out in serious moments. Son and Euro, as Lert and Naran were excellent too. They just made me sometimes forget the political subplot, and I just waited for them to meet in another dusty corner to make bad life choices.
The production team understood the assignment and pulled the '70s vibe well. I like the costumes and cinematography overall. The only thing that I had an issue with was Mile's hair extensions. He looked really good with long hair, but it felt pretty unnatural.
And about the ending, I think it is very justified considering the period it is set in. I couldn't see a better approach. I mean yes things would have been happy go lucky... but then it would stand against everything that the previous 7 episodes built.
Overall, I can't really say this is a comfort watch or even a proper romance BL. It juggles politics, romance, and personal growth with historical tension surrounding every decision. It's not perfectly executed but the writing doesn't just give us pretty faces in suits. It demands attention and occasionally tears.
I would 100% recommend it if you are looking for anything except the cookie-cutter BLs and don't mind morally grey characters. This will make you feel everything from love to frustration to heartbreak with just a little bit of awe.
Thank you for reading my review! <3 I hope you enjoy the drama as much as I did. I didn't realise that it was so lengthy!
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Let life be beautiful like summer flowers...
This tantalizing and poignant love story captures the spirit of carpe diem. It opens with a young girl's chance encounter at the hair salon. She is aroused by a strong and silent stranger from the way he caresses her ears and washes her hair. For most girls, it would stop just there; a titillating fantasy not to be acted upon. But He Ran is not like most girls. She throws herself at Xiao Han shamelessly; not one whit bothered that he is well into his prime. Twist and all, this is a simple and very cliched romance plot that hinges on the chemistry between the leads and whether they can convince audiences to root for them.He Ran's relentless pursuit of Xiao Han can very easily come across as crude and thirsty but Xu Ruohan gets this tricky portrayal mostly right down to the small nuances. She is just an artless young, girl headily experiencing infatuation, desire, and possibly even love for the very first time. She can be incredibly petulant, unreasonable, and childish, like the protected and spoiled little rich girl she is. But she taunts and tempts him with the instinctive provocativeness and burgeoning sensuality of a child-woman. The way she looks at him with her heart in her eyes and the effervescent joy in her smile made me shake my head at the futility of Xiao Han's efforts to evade her charms.
As for Xiao Han, his genuine attempts to resist the ardent allure of this captivating young temptress is just the right touch. He rightly has misgivings - she is too young and they are from different worlds. Xiao Han is a man of few words; a gentle giant who is very still and seemingly unmoved by her attempts to seduce him. Only the smallest microexpressions give him away - the hint of a smile, a tensing of his incredible jawline, a barely perceptible slow sidelong glance, and a whisper of innuendo in his tone. While Xiao Han clearly looks and is more mature, the relationship doesn't come across as exploitative largely because He Ran is the instigator and calls most of the shots. Of course, it helps that Jerry Yan does not look a day over thirty and the only offensive thing about him is how well he wears those sleeveless wife-beater T-shirts.
Their love story unfolds against a lush, almost surreal romantic palette drenched with deep and lush saturated colors of the riotous blooms adorning Xiao Han's intimate seaside home. The couple's sultry chemistry permeates the screen, captured mesmerizingly by the director's avant-garde and sensual visual composition style. The superbly curated soundtrack supercharges the narrative with all the right emotions at every critical juncture. I was invested in their romance the moment I heard the first song, Cantopop hit (半點心 A Drop of Your Heart). At the time, they had barely even met! I am so busy being a Peeping Tom that it takes me a while to notice that the plot doesn't move much. He Ran is just escaping into Xiao Han's world and their relationship is built around "ask me no questions and I will tell you no lies". They are both secretive and repeatedly fail to communicate. Thus despite its addictive beauty, theirs does not bear the hallmarks of a lasting relationship.
He Ran and Xiao Han's relationship shortcomings are amplified by the too coincidental to be true gender reversed second age-gap romance. There the couple actually dares to call each other out and are open about themselves and their doubts and constraints. That said, their initial attraction is too tropey and not convincing and it is a major subplot that develops too late in the main plot line; right after He Ran and Xiao Han's relationship peaks. This long-winded and often boring digression annoyed me and disrupted the momentum of the main romance. Their sizzling chemistry also highlights a more adult passionate intensity that seems missing in He Ran and Xiao Han's encounters.
The Chinese title of this drama 夏花 / Xià Huā or Summer Flowers, comes from Rabindranath Tagore's poem "Let life be beautiful like summer flowers..." After Shakespeare, Tagore is the most widely read and well-loved foreign poet in China. Thus there is already a lot of foreshadowing in the Chinese title. But I think it is not that important how He Ran and Xiao Han's story ends. Because the story's real message is about living in the moment and daring to live and love with no conditions or expectations for the future. That they did and like summer flowers, their love bloomed with wild abandon drenching the earth with the radiant, ecstatic colors of beautiful life. With a little bit of help from Uncle Han, who is just the best fairy godfather ever.
As for the ending, I didn't like it. Not at all. It diminishes both main characters. It is why even though I love many parts of this drama, I can only rate it a 7.5. A better ending would have gotten an 8.0-8.5 from me. I will elaborate on why I am so disappointed in the ending below. It is of course a major spoiler so please don't scroll down if you have not finished watching the drama.
Warning - major ending spoiler way down below.
Major Ending Spoiler
To me killing off a character is a lot better than killing the character of the character. And that is what leaving the door open for some ambiguity does - both He Ran and Xiao Han's characterizations suffer as a consequence. The ending should have been clear and decisive. The drama consistently builds up to it. This loosey-goosey ending makes the timeline messy and creates unnecessary loose ends. Did Xiao Han not accompany He Ran to seek treatment? What about his promise to care for her? Surely he was not growing flowers at home while she was fighting for her life thousands of miles away. But what really takes the cake is He Ran's unreasonable demand that Xiao Han waits for her and loves no one else. It is utterly selfish and insensitive. What if his first love had demanded that of him and he never gave He Ran the time of the day? Dying is easy, it puts her beyond all further suffering and emotion. From then, the suffering begins for the survivors. She sets her mother free but poor Xiao Han is supposed to miss her for the rest of his life? Did she ever even truly love him? Wow! This cop-out ending made me intensely dislike He Ran instead of remembering her poignantly as the brave young girl she was at the beginning. A girl who chose to live life gloriously if briefly instead of wallowing in self-pity.
"Let life be beautiful like summer flowers and death like autumn leaves." - Stray Birds by Rabindranath Tagore
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1This review may contain spoilers
Petition to change the title to "Our Sunbae"
*Minor Spoilers Alert*What exactly went wrong with this drama?
Did the writer mix up the ML and SML scripts?
Did the director forget that the SML is not the ML and therefore shouldn’t be having half the romantic & swoonworthy moments with the FL?
Or did the production house get confused and promote the wrong man as the ML?
OHH OH OH WAIT, maybe they just wanted to make a clownery out of the viewers? Because that’s honestly what it looks like to me. But let me tell you some (or maybe more) things for sure so you can save your time.
This show actually follows its script for… what, maybe three episodes max? Yes. Three. After that, it completely forgets what it was supposed to be and turns into AGLTTNOCAFAYIBTEP (a goddamn love triangle that no one gives a fk about, yet somehow it becomes the entire plot). UGH.
Let me tell you the synopsis of THIS drama.
"After a tragic accident leaves their nephew Woo Joo orphaned, Hyun Jin and Tae Hyung are forced to raise him together despite their rocky first impression of each other. Thrown into the unfamiliar role of co-parents, they struggle to navigate childcare and their new responsibilities. Tae Hyeong, a photographer who prefers control and solitude, gradually begins to develop unexpected feelings for Hyun Jin. Meanwhile, Hyun Jin, still grieving her sister, focuses on raising U Ju as a way to honor her. As they spend more time together, their relationship slowly begins to change, though she hesitates to follow her heart"
Now like a teacher point by point I'm gonna correct the errors in this synopsis:
First of all, this show is supposed to be about the baby, right? The child whose parents tragically died in an accident?Because from what I watched, the plot barely revolves 10% around the baby and 90% around the SML and FL.
The term co-parent literally means: “to share the duties of bringing up a child.” Someone please explain where that sharing is happening here, because ONLY Tae Hyung is taking care of the baby.
“Hyun Jin focuses on raising Woo Joo” excuse me, where? Because from what the show actually portrays, she focuses more on the SML. Meanwhile, she signed up to take responsibility for a 1.5 year old child, yet 95% of the time the uncle is the one handling the baby.
I’m not saying she has to sacrifice her career for the kid. But if you’re incapable of handling a literal human being, maybe don’t step up to become his legal guardian in the first place. Handling a child is not a casual side quest.
Now this is like 10-15% of the drama. Do you wanna know what is the other 85-90%? A STUPID AND UNNECESSARY LOVE TRAINGLE.
I was hooked by the baby. I swear, how could anyone not be? He would be the apple of anyone’s eye. His crying scene made me terribly sad; I actually sobbed:( But as the show progressed, his screen time became almost negligible. I know we can’t expect a 1.5-year old to “act,” but at least the plot could have focused on his parenting and the struggles of balancing a career while raising him. Instead, that part is brushed off with minimal story, while most of the focus shifts to the FL’s love life. LAME.
This is peak catfishing!
The marketing? Misleading.
The drama? Pure Ragebait.
If the story had only focused on the Main Leads, I honestly wouldn’t have minded. But the SML feels completely unnecessary to the plot. He’s the one flirting and getting all those romantic scenes with the FL which, by the way, are the scenes the ML should be having with her. He barely has any relevance to the actual plot, yet somehow the entire story keeps revolving around him. I didn’t sign up to watch “Our Sunbae.”
Let’s go through the characters, even though the story mainly revolves around SML;
Tae Hyung, ML (namesake): He honestly has such a green-flag personality. Even though he never wanted to be involved with the baby at first, he slowly grew attached to him more than even the aunt did. What started as responsibility turned into a genuine connection.
I also love how he never forced his feelings onto the FL, yet he was always concerned about her wellbeing.
Hyun Jin, FL: Her being confused between the two isn’t really the issue. The problem is that she could easily turn one down while actively saying yes to go on dates with the other and yes, that’s very problematic. She also stepped up to become Woo Joo’s legal guardian, yet she’s barely taking care of him. It’s understandable that things are difficult, but if you’re not even financially stable or ready to handle a child, why take that responsibility in the first place?
Honestly, at one point I barely even saw any spark between her and the ML anymore. They should probably just co-parent the child, that’s it because he definitely deserves better.
And the actress’s facial expressions are so bland that I feel absolutely nothing watching her whether she’s supposed to be conflicted, upset, or concerned. I just kept wondering that she didn’t understand her character either, because she just looks confused the whole time… which honestly would explain a lot.
SML: Annoying, unnecessary, insufferable. I don’t exactly hate him, but he has zero relevance what the actual plot should have been and still ends up with the majority of the screen time.
Honestly, if you removed him from the show’s 12 hours, you’d probably be left with only about 5 hours of actual story.
After suffering from endless amnesia about what the drama was even about, the writer and director suddenly remembered it was supposed to be about the kid 🤣 so they crammed the entire story into the last two episodes. Rushed doesn’t even begin to cover it.
Don’t watch this for the romance, the love triangle drags on till almost the end and honestly there’s no point.
Because for enterity of this drama FL: sunbae sunbae SUN FKING BAE
out of nowhere: Hey I like you Tae Hyung
(AFTER GOING ON MULTIPLE DATES WITH SML)
But I would totally recommend watching the Woo Joo and Tae Hyeong scenes through reels, they’re adorable and genuinely funny.
The only reason I even started this show was because of the scene where Woo Joo cries after his parents’ death, which was an exceptional moment by the way. But apart from that the plot does absolutely nothing, like FOR REAL.
If you are still in the earlier episodes, just do yourself a favour.
I wouldn't say this was dud it had potential to greater than what was presented to the audience but yk some scripts should be kept hidden forever for the greater good of the audience and this is THE ONE.
Giving 3 stars only for Woo Joo and his Samacheon.
With Regards,
Biggest fan of Woo Joo & criticizer of this show
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My boyfriend is an Idol.
The series does a great job of portraying the reality of idol groups and how they are constantly under scrutiny, how internal conflicts and competition can arise and how difficult it can be to maintain unity when the industry often pits members against one another. I appreciated how the show tackled the issue of favoritism, where one member is pushed into the spotlight while others are sidelined. That’s a very real struggle for many groups.Now, when it comes to the romantic side of the show, I have to say, I really liked it. Thame and Po are the definition of green flags. Their relationship was built on patience, care and understanding. Thame’s attentiveness toward Po, the way he never rushed him and always made sure he felt safe, was just so refreshing. Some of their scenes made me feel like I was experiencing a first crush all over again hehe. Their relationship just felt sooo pure, yet deep.
However, I do have some critiques. The first half of the show was excellent but the second half lost some of its momentum. The two episodes focused on Jun and Po felt unnecessary to me. I understand why that subplot was there and I know some people connected with it but personally, I felt it took time away from the core of the story. I would have much preferred more focus on Thame and Po’s development instead.
The breakup arc was another part that didn’t entirely land for me. It was realistic given how brutal the entertainment industry can be, a relationship like theirs was bound to face challenges. I saw it coming and I understood why it happened but at the same time, it felt a bit frustrating since their romance was already such a slow burn, they barely had time to fully be together before they were torn apart again. It created a bit of emotional whiplash for me...I get the drama of it but I wish we had more time to actually see them as a couple before the conflict hit.
That being said, the chemistry between the leads was really amazing. And the kisses left me gasping. Both actors did an amazing job, not just them but the entire cast delivered strong performances. Every character, even the side ones, felt fully realized and I liked that.
Overall, while I had some issues with the pacing and a few plot choices, I still enjoyed it and I hope to see WilliamEst in a new project again.
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Simply one of the best...
So good, so good, soo good... This drama may be about people sleeping, but is sure to keep you wide a wake and on your toes as you binge it... The first episodes are packed with humour as well as heart heartfluttering flirting, fun and twists of fate, twist of umbrellas, twists of the arm... Showing all from exploding busses (ok 1), to domestic abuse and hubby love. Watching glimpses of your future when you sleep may not only save your life but will also shorten the runway in to love... or make you run scared... heck why not both?As the show progresses the darker and deeper tit gets, the suspense and issues rise... (not that there weren't any in the beginning) and though the plot has lots of side stories they all come together, mixing genres without making a mess! Impressive right?
The show has an overall good and valuable message, about learning from ones mistakes. The characters are not only gorgeous for the eye... they are lovable interesting and not the least bit flat, as each story and character is properly dealt with and shown from several angels, ok not all but most of them. ..
Watching this for the first time will definitely surprise you and probably have you guessing, watching it for the second time you will probably notice a lot of details you thought were insignificant the first time around, and watching it a third time will probably just make your hart flutter, but this is just me guessing since I have actually only seen it twice.
In numbers:
Bingeabilaty: 10
Annoying elamnts: a few but they can be overlooked
Fluff: 10
Visuals: 10
Acting: 10
Side characters: 9
Fun: 10
So if you have yet to have seen this masterpiece go watch it, if you have seen it before go rewatch it...
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I hope that this feeling might catch up with you
The plot was a very standard best friends to lovers kind of story. We follow two high school boys that have been friends since they were little, and how their relationship changes as one starts to struggle with his feelings. There are certain things that felt unrealistic and unnecessary. I am aware that the series was not really released internationally, and the subtitles are fan made, so that is not something that will affect my ratings regarding the series. It is a shame that this was not an international release though.I am not a fan of cinematography. Many scenes were too bright to the point of slightly blurring out the details and the faces. Some cuts between the scenes were also a bit confusing. There was also an overwhelming amount of slow-motion scenes. It just felt a bit excessive.
Ohara Yamato & Ashiya Kakeru: They have this black cat and golden retriever dynamics. Yamato is the calmer one, the more reserved and not so friendly one. Kakeru is the more outgoing one, the more approachable and more hyperactive one. They are quite different from one another, but they make it work. Yamato falls first, he has loved Kakeru for years, but has never dared to confess. He didn’t want to risk losing what the two had. But as Kakeru starts to show interest in dating, Yamato starts to struggle. I don’t think Kakeru is indifferent to Yamato either, I just think he wasn’t really considering that possibility until it hit him in the face. He was always convinced the two can be just friends, so even if there were any deeper feelings, he never admitted those to himself. The two actors had good enough chemistry, but I don’t think it was as sizzling in some other dramas I have seen.
As the title suggests, the main conflict of the story does resolve around miscommunication. The two boys are not able to express their real feelings due to fear and other factors. However, this does not mean that the characters don’t communicate well. I really enjoyed that Yamato, no matter how much he hated that, was always honest with people who confessed to him. He never led anyone on. And even when things started going south between Yamato and Kakeru and the two were forced to be honest, they were both able to express themselves.
I liked the side characters too. Especially Yamato’s sister and Hisaka Yui, their classmate. Both of them were very open-minded and accepting of the two. It also helped Yamato and Kakeru feel more comfortable and not like what they are feeling for each other is wrong and unacceptable. There will always be people who might not be very open minded, but there will also always be people who will accept you no matter who you love.
And bonus points for not making any potential female love interests into villains! That’s a plot twist I am happy we avoided.
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Story: Basically, the plot will give you a parody about behind-the-scenes of drama-making and a man who will conquer everything for the sake of his ambition. The story isn’t really life-changing but it is certainly highly influential and enlightening in my case--at least on how drama production works. Yes , it’s supposed to be fiction but watching this one and at same time hearing news about real life drama made me wonder if in reality what was happening here is based on real life-drama filming experience.
I love the writing— Simple yet has a refreshingly engrossing storytelling and it managed to combine right amount of angst, romance, huge dose of comedy while handling issues about ratings, writer and director difficulties, financial problems, sponsorships, actor- behaviors and even extras. Of course, KoD is still a drama, there is a main story going on and I can guarantee that this one gives no dull moments. Intense and fast-paced, you’ll realize what I’m talking about if you try now and watch the first episode. Since KoD satirizes drama-making, it’s only natural for it to be funny, and if I may add, it is enjoyably hilarious in almost every episode. Comedy-wise, it’s a genuine masterpiece for me. Romance is subtle yet touching at first and tends to develop later which makes it more believable and truly romantic—not the usual wrist grabbing can determine the person you love. Did I mention a lot of anti-cliches here? Well, It has. And I love every bit of it! The ending was lovely and very satisfying for my taste.
Cast/Acting: Another thing to love about this drama was the evident character development on the main casts. In the end I have no choice but to love all of them. When I first watched this, I had known little of the casts and it was a great surprise watching all of them. Kim Myung Min also played stellar performance, the character change is very convincing on his part. He is amazing that he can take full control of his facial muscles while conveying the right expressions on his role. I love the strict, straightforward Representative with a sexy voice. Yes, I have to add that, lol. Jung Ryeo Won’s character is loveable-simple yet strong and determined. Her expressions are adorable. Their chemistry was noticeable just with their eyes and gestures, oh well, it comes with the leads personality, that’s why it’s like that—at first. The chemistry was wonderful, with just their gazes alone, I’m melting; Anthony Kim-Lee Go Eun has just become one of my top OTP’s this year. The biggest revelation, I credit it to Si Won—He is simply a truly great actor here. At first it was all funny just because it innates from his personality and self-love, then his expressions, his eyes, and then it comes a time that just his presence evokes hilarity. That’s how funny he is. Min Ah’s character is annoying at first but becomes likeable later on. World’s boys, who wouldn’t love them? Let me join your group! Tehe-
Music: Blind for Love, Keep In Your Heart and Tuesday Song are memorable OST’s for me, now another fave added. Even the instrumentals were catchy.
Rewatch Value: 10 because I rewatched some episodes already while waiting for the new one.
Overall: If a true drama lover runs in your veins, I believe you should watch this!—err, scratch that, I mean you would appreciate, relate and enjoy this refreshing, funny, one-of-a-kind drama as much as I did. :P
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Ahjussis Assemble!
It didn’t take long as someone who has never seen the webtoon to realize Agent Kim Reactivated was based on one. Logic, the laws of physics and biology flew out the window in the opening episode. Once again, a father with a particular set of skills was unleashed in order to save his daughter who had been taken. Along for the bumpy ride were his only two friends who apparently owned one set of clothes each and like Kim seemed to have super powers in a world without super powers. AKR didn’t cover any new spy ground and tended to be repetitive, but it also had its entertaining moments as well. And So Ji Sub.Manager Kim is the widower father of teenaged Min Ji. He meets up with two friends once a year. Han Su is a champion taekwondo master who owns his own school and teaches kids martial arts. Jin Cheol is married to the scariest woman on the planet and spends his days directing traffic and hanging out in his veteran’s trailer playing video games. All three have a past connected to far more violent fare. When the rich girl at Min Ji’s school goes too far bullying her, Kim is forced to shake off his mild-mannered alter ego and set loose a frightening set of skills to find his child, leaving a line of broken bodies in his wake.
What worked for me:
I enjoyed the middle-aged ex-spies, men not comfortable with their own emotions, showing utter loyalty to each other. All were trying their best to be good parents and struggling to understand how to deal with teenagers. I will watch So Ji Sub as a badass anytime, anywhere. Kim was played straight with an unflinching focus on the mission. The other two ahjussis-Choi Dae Hoon as taekwondo expert Seong Han Su and Yoon Kyung Ho as Park Jin Cheol who had an Iron Head and basement full of weapons brought the humor and heart. It also showed the generational technology divide between the ahjussis and teenagers.
The fight scenes were well choreographed and contained gravity defying wire work, but were generally well shot. The kicks often missed but the stuntmen sold the action.
Things that made me go hmmmm…
The three men all wore glasses but never lost them during vicious fights. Their physical abilities were beyond human and not consistent with the laws of physics. Characters sustained blunt force trauma to their heads with no repercussions, bullet and knife wounds also healed rapidly. Poor Han Su was stuck in his dobok for the whole drama. All three were their own one-man army, yet still had people sneak up on them.
What didn’t work as well:
Way too many kidnappings. I stopped counting at 5. Too many ill-defined villains. And the trope I hate, the hero cuts through the minions like soft butter and then lets the Big Bad loose-repeatedly. The drama killed time by showing lines of cars leaving and driving through the city or countryside on multiple occasions. Repetition caused loss of emotional impact. Long minutes were used on car rides and walks, padding the hour plus episodes. The de-aging of the actors in flashbacks was jarring. The natural culmination of the drama appeared to be at the end of episode 7 but continued on. While I could see the reasoning, they dragged it out too far. The product placements were ridiculously obvious, pulling me out of the moment each time.
To sum up:
If you like Ji Sub in battle mode, don’t mind a mix of gritty spy drama with humor, and can check your brain at the door, Agent Kim Reactivated could be worth your while. I feel like I overrated it, but for the most part I enjoyed the ride.
“We need another parents’ meeting to settle things.”
26 July 2026
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The Boy Next World Special Episode: A World Where We Don’t Know Each Other
38 people found this review helpful
This review may contain spoilers
I Really Hope We'd Be Getting Another Season!!!
The way I laughed watching this! 😂🤣 I think it made me forget all the tears I cried while watching the past 10 episodes. I love it so much, wish we had more of Bratty Cir and Nerdy Phu 🥺And as usual the NC was mind blowing.. I am writing this review lying in my coffin ⚰️ 😂 BossNoeul why you do this to me.. LOVE THE SHOWER SCENE TOO!! 🫠🤭
Hopefully we'd be getting another season with the way they ended the episode.🤞 Definitely need to see more of Black Cir 🖤
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In Amazement!!
I thought this drama was perfect! I am in amazement at how many reviews have missed the whole story line and decided to focus mainly on the acting skills of the ML and FL. Living in North America, it is fascinating for me to learn about other country technologies and their perspectives as they apply to the world market. I certainly won't take anything away from Dylan Wang and Bai Lu as they both are exceptional actors. It is refreshing to see Dylan Wang accomplish a more serious modern day role and how he brings a mature level to his acting. I have seen Bai Lu in many dramas and her acting gives a "real" feel to her roles. I would definitely rewatch this drama again.Was this review helpful to you?
So this is not the drama to watch if you want to think deeply about the world or be moved by something new or profound. It IS the drama to watch if you just had surgery and you need something to keep your mind off the pain while you recover, or if you are that combo of bored and distracted that means you can't keep track of complicated plotting, or if you're feeling sad generally and want to watch an angst-light bickering couple be adorable at each other for a while.
One point I thought worth making is that the premise of forced marriage and subsequent escape/chase as the base of a romantic relationship is tricky to handle well. The show does a great job of balancing the characters and the romantic development so that it doesn't feel like the female lead is intimidated into love or suffering from Stockholm syndrome or something. His intentions towards her aren't creepy, and while she's attracted to him early on, she doesn't fall for him until much later when the power balance between them is much more equal (side note: I would hesitate to call this a "historical".... it's thoroughly modern in terms of the ideas that the characters have about love and morality).
There's a lot of reviews already so rather than describe the show again, I'll respond to two of the major flaws that have bothered other people: plot, and the female lead's character.
Plot: This feels adapted from a web novel, and so rather than a straight plot that carries us from beginning to end, there are definite arcs: The Island Arc, the Escape/Chase Arc, the The Black Gang Arc, and the White Jade Arc. We drop some characters along these arcs and move to new locations where new characters come in, so the beginning of each arc is a bit like starting a new show, with some ramp up time before the story gets going again. The transitions to the Black Gang arc and the White Jade arc are a bit choppy, so our gang of heroes ends up talking about goals for a while and the audience is like "huh? Explosion? What? Coverup? How did we get here?"
Eventually everything makes sense again and it's pretty easy to fill in the gaps, so if you're in it for the cute couple it's not a major detractor. But if you really want a compelling and tight plot, you will definitely hate the transitions and probably not enjoy the show much overall.
Lead Female: She is a bit screetchy at the beginning, and I think the type of character (her backstory) isn't well enough established early on to make sense of some of her actions. However, she's actually a pretty good character once you get her (and the screaming subsides), so here's my take on her: She's a general's daughter who is stubborn, book-smart, and has an intense sense of justice and desire to do good in the world. She's been indulged, but not *specifically* trained. So she's grown up around martial arts and picked up some things, and she knows lots of tricks that she's read about and is decent at putting together traps or thinking her way out of a situation. BUT she's not that great at anything other than slingshot. She's got a lot more courage than experience, so when she starts having experiences, she isn't always prepared for what's happening.
What I liked about her character was that for everything except cooking, what they established that she was good at remained good throughout the show (and the cooking is a really minor exception). So, she has a photographic memory, which is useful even at the end. She's good at tricks and quick thinking. She doesn't use them every possible time, but she doesn't get "dumber" over time as some smart characters tend to; in fact her skills improve. The pirate actually changes to get better at trusting her and acknowledging her strengths, and she learns new skills. It's not *amazing* but it is well done enough to keep their relationship interesting throughout the show, which is great because the romantic arc is such that the show could have suffered from early bed death.
The show was a ton of fun for me. I even loved the cheesy costumes (caterpillar eyebrows!!!!) and props, which offered their own laughs at times. The show never takes itself to seriously, which is what you want for a low-budget comedy low on realism and loose with plot. A high production value would have made the historical inaccuracies and trope-heavy plot unbearable.
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There is 0 romance in this drama. So if you're at the moment looking for romance, I suggest you look elsewhere because this drama doesn't have that ok. Ok?
Now, the second thing you should know is that I actually surprisingly did not go into this drama as a fan of Lee Jun Ki. I know shocking. So everything that I say here is not me being biased it is me being pleasantly surprised.
Ok, now to the review:
The story- the story was like a roller coaster ride. You never knew what would happen next. You were kept on the edge of your seat till the very end. Even when it seemed like everything was ok, you would still wonder if someone was going to pop out of nowhere and ruin everything.
The Acting- Perfect. As I said above, I did not go into this drama as a fan of Lee Jun Ki, but I sure did come out as a fan. The emotions in the drama felt raw and real. Every cast member played their role perfectly and when I say perfectly, I mean as though the character felt real.
Even with the villains, there were times when I could understand why they did what they did which is unusual for a Korean drama. Usually you hate the villains, but for some reason, there where a few evil characters which I just couldn't get myself to hate. Such as "Glue Stick" who you will find out about later..
Music- The music just fit with the drama. It matched well with all the action scenes and the adorable scenes with his daughter.
Re-watch-Would I re-watch this drama? I think that I would maybe later. It's hard to forget this drama so I would wait a little while.
Overall- I found this drama quite enjoyable. I would recommend this drama to anyone who likes suspense, thrillers filled with action or if your a fan of Lee Jun Ki.
I'm not saying this drama is for everyone but I would say if you liked "City Hunter" or "The time between dog and wolf". I would say watch this drama! You will enjoy it!!
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Drama Special Season 12: A Moment of Romance
38 people found this review helpful
This review may contain spoilers
Red flag with a face card is still a red flag. No excuses!
If a guy never listens to you, constantly talks about himself, takes you for granted and is self-centered, would you still stay with him? Without a doubt, the answer should be no. But if he has a charming face, all his bad qualities will vanish into thin air. But that shouldn't be the case, right? We shouldn't be bewitched by someone's looks. The same goes with this TV special.The k-drama opens with Oh Jin (played by Shin Ye Eun) getting greeted by her boyfriend Cha Min Jae (played by Kang Tae Oh) with passionate kisses the moment she steps into his house. At first, this might seem romantic and sweet but Oh Jin stops kissing Min Jae midway and insists to put away the beer and freshen up first. He didn't even ask how was her day and instead asked why she was late. Min Jae then grabbed her to continue making out but she protested again to which he didn't listen to and wanted to do it his way.
It was pretty obvious from the opening scene that this relationship is doomed to end. Min Jae constantly dismisses Oh Jin's thoughts and feelings and would always point out that she's being too emotional. Oh Jin only realizes this when her boyfriend flicked her forehead too hard after losing in a bet. The finger flick is a wake-up call to Oh Jin that perhaps she deserves better than this. What was once little cracks in their relationship started to develop into a tremor that will make or break their connection.
Shin Ye Eun portayed Oh Jin with naturalism and nuance. We empathized with her as she navigates a breaking point in her relationship. It broke our hearts when she come to realize that her boyfriend is not cherishing and treating her right the way she should be. Ye Eun channels Oh Jin's confusion and ambivalence toward her boyfriend and a budding romance with the PE teacher. Ye Eun's maturity was also shown as the story progresses.
Tae Oh adopts a smug and broody approach to depict a self-centered and insensitive boyfriend. In reality, a possessive and cold-hearted guy turns out not to be hot at all. He constantly turns the tables and puts all the blame to Oh Jin for being too emotional. Thankfully, Oh Jin sticks to her guts and was firm on her decision.
Meanwhile, Hong Kyung plays Koo Won Bin, a PE teacher who is harboring a crush on Oh Jin. He is very soft-spoken and is straightforward about his feelings, a stark contrast to Min Jae's personality. He is sheepish yet has a way with words and it feels as though he is straight out of fiction books.
Overall, this is a quick, nice watch with a compelling storyline. This kdrama is not about getting pissed off over a finger flick, it's highlighting growing out of love and also touches on gaslighting which is a prominent issue nowadays in relationships. Watching this can also be a wake-up call to viewers that loving someone can just be something that is done out of habit without us realizing it. This sounds painful but it is the reality of love. The fact that this special episode was able to narrate a heartbreaking yet light-hearted story in a short amount of time is such a feat and is all the more reason for watching.
PS. If you were rooting for Kang Tae Oh, there is seriously something wrong with you. I bet you rooted for Song Kang in Nevertheless, too.
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In this movie, what was really interesting was how each character had their own story to tell. I'm also glad that the director and producer gave the chance for these characters to show their own side of the story. The movie is quite long, with bits of musical pieces in between that I almost thought it was going to be like a broadway musical show up to the end.
Joo Ji-hoon (from Goong and Mawang) who played as Kim Jin Hyeok, Antique's owner was the most complex character in the lot. He had this terrible past which he doesn't have closure with up until he made up the Bake shop. Jin Hyeok do not actually like sweets because of an incident 20 years ago. The only way he could move on from that was to catch the person who inflicted trauma in his past but the story does not only revolve around him. There's more...
Kim Jae-wook (from Coffee Prince) as Min Seon-woo, the gay Patisserie (my favorite character) was VERY queer, charming, hot and definitely devious when it comes to making men; straight or gay fall for him. Only Jin Hyeok is the exception for some certain reason related in the past (again). He is the only guy who is able to resist his charm thoroughly up to the present but there would be some side story between their friendship and how things work out in favor for both of them in the end.
I loved the way Jae-wook presented his character, it seemed so real and not icky to watch all. There were several kissing scenes with a guy in this movie to show how gay his character really was. What fascinated me more was that before I actually watched the movie, I have read several comments from him as to how he was able to portray the character in a realistic manner. During the filming sessions, he admitted that he was having a very hard time internalizing his gay character because in reality he wasn't gay. What's more interesting is how it seemed so natural on screen, you wouldn’t even think he was uncomfortable with the whole process. He was so darn convincing that I would think he was gay if I didn't know any better.
Yoo Ah-in (Sungkyunkwan Scandal) as Patisserie apprentice Yang Ki-beom, a punk kid who wanted to eat cakes and is running away from something. The kid is an insistent worker, stubborn but has a high respect for Seon-woo and would only acknowledge him as the best Patisserie in the whole world. He also has a sweet tooth that he became the official taster for the bake-shop.
Choi Ji-ho as Nam Soo-yeong, the guy who is unbelievably stuck with Jin-hyeok. He is the son of the Kim's house nanny and became Jin-hyeok's body guard in the process. He may be a bit slow, and could have been affected by the charms of Seon-woo but he has a great respect and kin-ship affection (not in a gay kind of way) towards Jin-hyeok. He always sees to it that he will be able to cater the needs of his young master.
There are other characters that have their own roles, but it would be too tedious to mention them one by one. Over all the movie's quirkiness is thanks to these four wonderful guys. They have brought the entire film to the best of its ability that even in its 109 minutes, did not once made me feel it was draggy or boring. The mixture of humor and suspense was perfect, even the soundtrack fit so well with the whole movie. There might be some several graphics that was a bit too exaggerated but the colorful atmosphere and acting took that tiny glitch away.
The movie may not show any love interest between a man and woman, but it would certainly show how people could connect deeply with each other no matter how one is scarred from the past or has a marred future. It only shows that in the end, everyone would be able to cope up with their own personal demons.
A must see movie for those who has a queer eye and a different perspective in life.
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This review may contain spoilers
If frustration had a name, it would be "Motel California"
This was a one-woman show, all other characters are pretty irrelevant. Lee Se Young was stellar as the cinematography was, too bad her character was an understandable frustrating mess not helped by a shitty script.Pace is draggy and all over the place. Drama sucked my energy dry.
#I've_got_melo_trauma
#Not_watching_ANY_melo_for_6_months
#Gimme_Back_My_HOURS
I was wondering how they were going to wrap up this thing up given how everything remained messy up to the middle of episode 11...
Turns out, THEY DIDN'T DO SH***
They didnt' resolve anything, they just used a magic wand and all the shitty villagers and classmates did a 180 in the last ep and everything is ok and let's laugh under the (grey) sky after years of bullying? ARE. YOU.KIDDING.ME ? ? ? As somebody who has had experience with some of the issues faced by Kang Hee I can tell you this :
1. Racists gonna remain racists, it's not because they do good things on the side that it changes the fact that they're filthy racists.
2. Even if they did a turnaround, I won't forget and I won't forgive, but in this drama, all these prejudices are treated like it's nothing.
3. It takes a lot of courage to apologize to your former victims. Most bullies would rather die than admit their wrongs that leaves (most of) them with two options: 1. Make up excuses to justify their past behaviors, usually by victim blaming 2. Just ignore the victim and act like they don't exist since these bullies are cowards who can't even look their victims in the eye.
And we're not going to have a "party" together UNLESS they PAY the whole bill!
Didn't care about the Esther story line. From the moment they showed the cheating it was either she aborts or she gets with glass-guy : they also swept under the rug that he's filthy rich hence it's very likely Esther and him are being pressured to abort the baby by their respective families. They have the same background so it makes sense they're allowed to be together, but even if glass-guy's family is ok with him getting with Esther the divorcee they definitely are not for her to keep the baby. BUT this show is doing a Love Next Door thingy so screw these issues I guess. She's gonna keep the baby and get her first love and not be outed by her family because they're not living in South Korea, they're living in Lalaland where genealogy and tracing one's ancestors have no importance whatsover.
Yeon Soo's mother got a new beau... but I haven't forgotten what two women said about him loosing most of his money gambling BUT the show sure did. Another Problem Non-Problem.
Ah Reum left her house and that was it. If it was THAT EASY why didn't you do it from the start? Another Non-Problem.
We never got to learn why Seung Eon didn't even get a Middle School degree given he's been raised by Jung Pil (Chung Pil whatever) since he was 7. But Whatever again I guess. He would have made an interesting character given his backstory but since this was a one woman show, he faded unfairly in the background.
Han U also faded in the background... But he also had an interesting story. It's not everyday you meet someone who gives up everything to restart from scratch in my home country, I can't even imagine what it is in South Korea... But I guess dragging Kang Hee's storyline was more important.
Kang Hee and her father's relationship problem has been solved by the power of his incoming death by the cancer of doom. I guess. Still she doesn't call her father "Father" by the end of the show and she says that "He raised her well"... When the show spent a whole lot of time to show she had to raise HERSELF since her father was always busy taking care of the villagers in particular Yeon Soo's mum but WHATEVER I guess.
And Yeon Soo... Well. Basically a doormat from start to finish. He did get some b*** by the end of the show but not that much. I get it, in recent months the faithful male lead with puppy love - Seon Jae in Lovely Runner, Sa Eon in When the Phone Rings, Ji Hyuk in Marry my Husband, Ji Hwan in My Sweet Mobster, Ji Uk in No Gain no Love and so on... - enamored with the ONE AND ONLY girl has made lots of women - me included - swoon. So it seems we're in for a lot of this type of male leads coming onto our screens...
HOWEVER, you do need to make your ML 3 dimensional if a guy is only defined by "I love Kang Hee", well that's not a person let alone a character. Your "character" is just and empty shell.
We never even got to know if Yeon Soo the doormat ends up going to Seoul to live with Kang Hee. BUT I guess he doesn't need to because from what we've seen, Seoul isn't that far from this village and "everything is forgotten and forgiven" by the power of K drama so Kang Hee doesn't mind coming to this shitty village by the end of the show.
Overall a happy ending that only works if you decide to play the amnesia card.
Well I'm sorry I CAN'T.
Suggested Rating based on the different criteria: 5
Personal rating: 3 Too must frustration, no satisfying conclusion... I loathe this drama even more than "Love Next Door" and that's saying something.
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