Editorials 
This review may contain spoilers
A new favorite in the making
Original review (first 2 episodes):It's been quite a while since a drama had me hooked in the first five minutes. But from the opening scene of My Perfect Stranger I loved the music, the atmosphere, the cinematography, everything, and by the end of episode 2 I was not let down. The pace so far has been fantastic and there hasn't been a single moment I was bored. The acting from our main leads is stellar, be it in emotional scenes or quieter moments. They make these wild circumstances feel plausible simply by the realism of their reactions. As far as the story, this drama had me at time travel. I've often wished for more Korean dramas with this premise because it's a theme I've loved ever since I can remember and I'm really enjoying the execution here.
The overall tone is lighter than I expected and it's great. It sets it apart from quite a few other dramas I've seen involving crime/murder and makes for what is, in my opinion, an easier and more pleasant watch. The humor is clever and genuinely funny without being flat out comedy. Honestly, I would find it a little difficult to name the exact genre of this drama because it truly has its own unique feel, which I personally love. I can't wait to see how the plot develops, as well as the relationship between Yoon Young and Hae Joon. I already sense some chemistry there and I hope that if there is in fact romance in this show that it's not rushed or forced. I would totally dig a low key slow burn between them. The OST is the cherry on top, both with the instrumental soundtrack and the 80s songs interspersed. All in all, if the drama keeps this up, I may have a new favorite on my hands.
Update (completed):
Let me start by saying that most of my feelings from my original review remained true until the end of My Perfect Stranger. The family relationships remained strong and beautiful throughout and my love for the main couple only grew. It's been a while since I was graced with a such a subtle, unproblematic, and yet adorable romance in a drama, and my only complaint is that I wanted more of them. For the most part, the drama managed to maintain the pace and feelings of suspense for me. That being said, after a while I began to realize that no matter who the culprit was, I probably would not feel shocked when their identity was revealed. Why? Because I had already spent hours considering every single person in the entire cast. Any one of them could be the culprit, it seemed, and I started to feel that none of them would surprise me. Sadly, I think that turned out to be true. The reveal simply did not pack the punch I was expecting from such an intense drama, and that was possibly the most disappointing part for me. I couldn't fully appreciate the climax because I was waiting for a second identity reveal that would REALLY shock me and prove the first one just a fakeout. Needless to say, that didn't come.
I've heard some mixed things about this drama and I know some people felt it became too contrived or went downhill. Personally, I don't know how contrived it was, but I enjoyed it beginning to end largely because I could almost always follow the plot. It felt like the writer prized the story more than shock value, and the same cannot be said of many in its genre. It is worth mentioning that I don't usually watch dramas as they air and it's possible I couldn't appreciate some of its flaws simply because I couldn't remember them lol. I do think it took a bit of a plunge into darkness later in the drama and that grew a little tiresome for me, but it did manage to bring back some of the humor and heartwarming elements again.
I have a few other gripes here and there, but in the end, I let them go because I think that overall, the drama did what it set out to do. It told a nostalgic time travel story that was both emotionally intense and heartwarming, and is ultimately about second chances. It wasn't afraid to delve into deep tragedy and heartbreak, which made the victories and happy moments that much sweeter. We got rare focus on family relationships and friendships, beautiful arcs both in the characters and relationships, and an extremely satisfying ending that left me smiling and feeling warm and fuzzy on the inside. I definitely recommend this one, flaws and all.
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Refreshing modern female oriented drama
When casting is top notch & the story is not filled with over toxic characters, it's enjoyable to watch.The story starts off with everyone captivated by Rose's beauty. Beauty is not just standard Chinese beauty but also the energy, 气质 she exhibits. Picking Cristal Liu is perfect for the role. She has that artsy, sophisticated 气质 and she looks young enough to play college age to 30's mom age.
She comes from a healthy family with loving parents with an overprotective brother. There isn't the idea of girls are any less valuable than boys hence she grew up free pursuing what she wants rather than what her parents want for her. She's smart, sassy, confident but also with many imperfections. She's not afraid to take chances on love and in life.
Ep 1-12 1st love. She's impulsive and the relationship progressed fast without deeper understanding. Break ups, fights, yelling feeling semi toxic as they find out more about each other. Very relatable to many people's 1st relationships.
Ep 13-28 Mr. Wrong Husband. She wanted someone stable and settled with the obvious wrong choice, but the series got draggy that I almost dropped the series. The best part was the divorce where she wrote to her daughter: "Divorce in my view only represent an end in a relationship and not a life failure."
Ep 28-35 Mr. Soulmate. At this point she regained her career and she's on a happier path. They have undeniable chemistry and connect on that artistic level.
Ep 36-38 Younger crush, not enough to make an impact.
What's enjoyable:
1. Good female supporting characters small or big parts. Even in the beginning a woman blaming her breakup on Rose, acting all crazy, Rose said "You are smart and beautiful, why waste more time on an underserving guy?" There was no female bashing over love interest like in other dramas.
2. Rose's Loving parents. Positive supportive parenting & nonjudgmental. "Life is only few decades long. If Happier times > sad times, then life is worth it."
3. Modern topics: Career women/Married, unmarried, divorced/Single parenting/Multiple loves, realistic that love moves on (None of that drama love trope of 30-year-old never been kissed, waiting to be reunited from their 1st unrequited love from 10 years ago because they met at 5 or something)
What could've been better:
1. WAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY less episodes on boring husband choice
2. Use those extra episodes on Soulmate
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This review may contain spoilers
ECCENTRIC SHOW FOR SURE
First of all let me just ask why title the series Eccentric Romance? The term eccentric literally means unusual, odd or strange. Do the makers hate same sex love stories that much to actually call whats happening odd and/or strange? Is it supporting BL genre or mocking it?The series is actually not that bad but it isnt actually good as well. At least it was better than that last Thai-Korean show starring Mew.
Lets discuss the biggest elephant in this show. This is not the first (or the worst) multi-lingual drama created, but for the love of the heavens above, could the producers just stop doing this now? It is not fun to watch series with leads speaking different languages and we as watchers should pretend that they understand each other. JUST STOP THIS INSANITY. Nothing about it is funny and watcheable. It just screams cheapness and the inability of the budget to actually afford bi-language actors.
My next gripe is this - i am so tired of watching BLs with girls objectifying the leads screaming "ohmygod hes so handsome" as if its their first time seeing a guy. Even worse, ive seen a few BLs doing this same shit and i am like who the f are they screaming at? They want us to believe that they cast the hottest actors in the world and maybe if they keep saying and doing it over and over we as watchers would believe it too. I mean the actors in this series are not bad looking but to be honest they dont look like someone who would stop people in their tracks. Stop doing this writers, this is just lazy lazy lazy writing.
Anyway, no need to recap, not worth retyping it, just read the synopsis here in MDL. I actually feel bad for this series. It is a show wanting to be different but isnt. The main story is quite unique in the BL world, conceptually, but the mediocre execution prevented it from actually being good. The acting is very amatuerish and the chemistry between the main couple is lacking. The sets are awful and screams low-budget. It feels like they shot the entire series within a day or two. The main twist and ending felt so rushed. Its a slice-of-life drama with no backstories and no real depth.
I really really cant understand why this has to be 12 short episodes with almost nothing happening. Add the fact that the 15minute episode is actually just about 12min when you have more than 90sec recap/opening credits and another 90 sec end credits. It is so obvious that the material they have and shot is just enough for a full-length movie and just divided it into 12 episodes and that they intend to re-release it in a movie version later on to milk it as much as possible. Please Im begging you Korean producers, if you want to make a series, please MAKE A SERIES. How difficult is it to add maybe 5 or 10 minutes to each episodes to fully develop your stories and characters?
Would i reccommend it? Not particularly, but if you have time to waste binge it in 1.25 speed, that would certainly make the experience better. Would i rewatch? Not even if you put a gun in my mouth. im giving it a 6.5 out of 10.
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For some people, a romance drama between people nearly 20 years different in age may be slightly off-putting but rest assure, you are not going to see anything dodgy. The relationship between all the characters are very interesting. I have never seen a drama with characters so well composed (well given the age... you would expect that they act adult-like) unlike the mainstream drama with divorce/cheating in it. This drama shows that broken relationships does not always end up with lots of crying, screaming, slapping, revenge etc. Despite the conflicts they faced, all the characters remained rational. They counselled each other, listened to each other and really thought about each other. I think this is much more realistic than those drama that just show characters lashing out at each other and trying to take revenge.
All that said, I think this is a great drama and well worth the time watching it.
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This review may contain spoilers
Your typical drama that has all of the C-Drama clichés
So what C-drama clichés does Unforgettable Love has✔Rich CEO ML & not so rich FL: Miles Wei plays a similar character personality from Perfect & Casual, a nerd who doesn't understand love and relies on his one and only friend for love/relationship advise. The FL was actually an okay character in the beginning before being dumb down in character quality once the relationship contract begins.
✔ A relationship bound by a contract
✔Main leads bicker at each other for more than half of the drama: Normally I wouldn't mind this because I would l find some bickering scenes funny and cute but for some reason, I was more annoyed at these 2 when their bickering scenes occur. Like I just didn't like either of them.
✔Evil family member: In this drama, it's the ML's aunt
✔Annoying & rude exs along with a few non-important jealous characters
✔A break-up towards the end of the drama after getting together 2 episodes ago
✔Last minute happiness/relationship repair in the second to last/last episode
Honestly, there's nothing real special about this drama. This is about as average as you can get for a C-drama. I loved the scenes with the little boy, Xiao Bao because I'll be honest, I only stuck with this because of his scenes. Secondary ML & FL were amusing to me as I enjoy their scenes more than the leads. For one, they were the best friend of the ML & FL so while the main leads do have a love rival for each, I'm just glad the second leads were best friends and not love rivals and their scenes were funnier to me.
What bothered me about this drama:
- I was on my breaking point when they introduce the evil aunt and the annoying and snobby ex. I felt like the ML didn't have good enough lines to support the FL when these two did wrong against the FL. The FL had a spine to talk back and defend herself when it came to the ML, but when it came to others, she's doesn't defend herself much. What made me finally drop this was the break up. I despise dramas that goes with the format, "I'm breaking up with you because I love you and in order to protect you from hurt" That's got to be the stupidest reason to break up with someone. I like a drama where the lead couple stands firm in their relationship no matter what's being thrown at them and they go and talk through it together. Not this drama though. Our lead couple just didn't have a good foundation to support one another to start with, which is why the break up happened so easily. Also, I'm not a big fan of having the break up issue being resolved at the second to last or very last episode. Endings always feel rushed when they do this.
BUT... I did come back for Ep 23 & 24 and at least for me, I felt like the last 2 episodes were good enough for me for this drama to not be overall terrible. I think if you just skip Eps 21-22, then this drama will be okay. Overall, story plot was good. It was watchable in the beginning but with too much added nonsense and conflict later on (especially the conflict a few episodes before the last) but a great ending.
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40 Episodes + 4 Couples + Hot Mess "I Need Time" script = 2nd Dumpster Fire of 2024
I added this to my watchlist because I wanted to see HYT in a totally different character and genre. He is known for his aloofness and very little emotion. And while this character was essentially really good for him (smiling, being a goofball, showing a range of emotions) the rest was not. I hope he gets more chances like this but with much better scripts. Because 40 episodes, 4 couples, an absolute hot mess script turned this promising series into the 2nd dumpster fire I've seen in 2024.Pros: HYT's character, the 4 best friends and their relationship as they were the much needed comic relief of the entire show, LYN's OST and some of the BGMs. Those were the only pros.
Cons: Everything else! This was a remake apparently of some Korean drama but it suffered badly from a horrible script. On top of that it had 4 couples with very little chemistry, 40 episodes of rinse, repeat, please pass the cheese scenarios where I personally skipped 6 of the latter episodes because of how annoyed I was at everyone and every situation. Furthermore, when the actual actors request for script changes to their characters because of how ridiculous and unrealistic the story was, that's a huge red flag. The theme of this show was, "I need time." Time to think about how to be a miserable moron apparently. Let's talk about each couple.
The leads started off with the FL liking the SML who fell for SFL as the ML fell for her at first sight. It was a love quad. Except it never felt like the FL was capable of liking or loving anyone. Instead it was more like a hobby and having any boyfriend would have sufficed. She had little actual knowledge of what love even was until I think the second to last episode even though she and the ML did get together, they had more breakups than I was willing to count and the selfish way she told him that "I never trusted you in the first place", floored me and absolutely solidified that she didn't deserve the ML who spent all 40 episodes bending over backwards for her. Even when his ex and her kid were brought in (as total and unnecessary plot devices), it just highlighted how ridiculously insecure the FL was. I was sure that after that horrendous line, the ML wouldn't go near her but let her come crawling back to him but nope he still thought of her, sent her flowers etc. She was willing to believe total strangers about him than the words and actions he'd shown her from the get go. It was infuriating. Her episode 39 traffic light epiphany about how he loved her but she didn't realize it just seemed contrived because just an hour before she walked away from him for the 100th time unwilling to give him an answer and now like someone shot nuclear EQ into her head, she suddenly understood everything he ever did for her and regretted the way she acted and wanted to love him the same way he loved her. It was beyond unbelievable.
I had originally liked this show because it showed the lives of flawed, imperfect characters in their daily lives but once I realized that most of the women were devolving into morons or already started there and one sounded like a toddler making me ffw her as much as I could, I couldn't back it anymore. There was literally no actual plot to this series save for everyone's relationship issues and it just got boring quick. Only the brotherhood of the 4 guys made it really worth watching.
The second leads issues stemmed from the SFL lack of facial expressions, her traumatic upbringing but the worst was that she took all of her anger out on the SML who didn't do anything but wait for her and quietly supported her. Unlike ML, he wasn't going to grovel and follow her around but let her have her space. He also had an insufferable mother to deal with who never really came around as she just gave up because he still proposed to SFL and got his father and sister to help shut his mother up. It was a group win as opposed to a mother who loved her son and wished for his happiness above her own interests. SFL was also wishy-washy when it came to advice for her even worse wishy-washy best friend the FL; like figure out your own life before you give others advice.
The 3rd couple seemed like very much an afterthought especially with who they cast as TFL; the toddler voiced, spoiled though with a good heart woman-child was somehow to be believed to be a 24 year old postgraduate who was in love with TML, a lawyer with a tragic past of his own, in losing his wife unexpectedly 4 years prior. Now the toddler could act brave and sound mature in the business setting but as soon as that was done, she would whiplash back to acting and sounding like she needed her binkie. Literally ffw'd her through pretty much the entire show. She definitely had her strong moments but they were few and far in between.
Our last couple, had the least screen time together and I called them the married/divorced couple because that was their identity. And though I admired the FFL for how she officially ended their marriage admitting that a lot of it was her fault and she should have come to terms with it sooner, what brought them back together was that she got pregnant but than started blaming him again for the little things including him signing the divorce papers that she orchestrated in the first place! And he again started to apologize; like what in the what? Make it make sense, please.
Overall, everyone got back together, married, engaged, whatever but you didn't feel much sense of accomplishment other than when the 4 friends buried a new time capsule and continued their goofiness, was literally what I considered the ending.
Would I recommend it? No way. I have seen most of these actors in other things that had done them justice but this thing absolutely wasn't one of them. I want a similar character for HYT but with a different script that he deserves; same goes for the other actors. If you cherish your sanity, watch something else.
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Fruits of Sorrow: Love's Tangled Roots in 'Paradise of Thorns
In the lush embrace of a remote durian orchard, "The Paradise of Thorns" unfolds like a bittersweet fruit, its story as complex and layered as the Thai landscape it inhabits. This poignant Thai film weaves a tapestry of love, loss, and legal strife, centering on Thongkam and Sek, a gay couple whose shared life is abruptly severed by tragedy.As the fragrant durian blossoms wither, so too does Thongkam's world when Sek passes away. The orchard, once a sanctuary of their love, becomes a battleground of grief and ownership. Thongkam must navigate the thorny path of reclaiming what he believes is rightfully his, while the absence of legal recognition for their union casts a long shadow over his fight.
The film's brilliance lies in its nuanced portrayal of five key characters, each a prism refracting different hues of love and loss:
Thongkam, portrayed with raw emotion by Jeff Satur, stands as the heart of the story. His endurance in the face of hardship is as steadfast as the durian trees he tends, his love for Sek rooted deeply in the soil of their shared dreams.
Mo, brought to life by Engfa Waraha, initially appears as thorny as the durian's husk. Yet, as the layers peel away, we see a woman equally scarred by love's cruel hand, her devotion to Saeng a testament to love's many forms.
Sek, played with complexity by Toey Pongsakorn Mettarikanon, embodies the conflict between desire and duty. Like a durian split open, his character reveals the sweet and the bitter - a man torn between his true self and societal expectations.
Saeng, masterfully portrayed by Seeda Puapimon, is like the roots of the durian trees - hidden yet vital. Her journey from seeming selfishness to revealed vulnerability mirrors the ripening of the fruit itself, her love emerging too late, but no less potent.
Jingna, brought to life by Keng Harit Buayoi, serves as the film's conscience. Like a bird's-eye view of the orchard, he sees all, his perspective offering a bittersweet wisdom on the cost of blind pursuit.
"Paradise of Thorns" transcends its initial premise of LGBTQ rights, blossoming into a universal meditation on love's many facets. It reminds us that in our struggle to claim what we believe we deserve, we may lose sight of what truly matters.
Set against the rustic beauty of Mae Hong Son, the film whispers that these tales of love and loss are as universal as the seasons. From Bangkok's bustling streets to the quiet durian groves of the north, human hearts beat to the same rhythm of joy and sorrow.
In the end, "Paradise of Thorns" leaves us with a profound truth: sometimes, in life's orchard, we open what we believe to be the sweetest fruit, only to find bitterness within. Yet it's in accepting this duality that we truly taste the richness of the human experience.
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The main issue? There was zero romantic chemistry between any of the four lead characters. There seemed to be lots of sexual tension in the earlier episodes, but once it was time for more romantic scenes, they just fell flat. I understand that Yoon So Yi & Jae Hee were both playing socially awkward characters, but that doesn't mean that their relationship should come across as stiff. Yoon So Yi never showed any emotion, and it's hard to root for a emotionally repressed romantic lead. Jae Hee relied too much on making cute Johnny Depp-like faces, which often made me not take him seriously.
The rivals were often more interesting than the main leads. Lee Soo Kyung did a good job of playing a competitive rival, but I still never felt like she had any genuine feelings, just a bruised ego. She did play selfish perfectly, and I hated her character because of it. Shim Ji Ho was the only cast member who made me feel anything close to real emotion. I fell for the longing looks Kang Chan Jin would give to So-Ra. I wanted him to win the girl simply because he was the best actor of the bunch. Sometimes it felt like he was in a romantic drama all by himself. He definitely held the romantic part of the story together.
I think this drama didn't know how to find the right balance between romantic comedy, and office drama. The workers at L'aura were fun to watch, but they eventually took up way too much focus. I soon felt like I was watching the Korean version of "Ugly Betty". Jun Soo Kyung role was so cliché, and her scheming soon took over the whole show. All the romance was soon reduced to misunderstandings, missed opportunities, and stubborn characters making frustrating choices. The only redeeming original moments were with Park Sang Myun. I loved the randomness of his all knowing character. All the rest has been done before, and much better.
I reserved the highest marks for the music. No matter how bored I became, the music started to become a pep talk that kept me watching. I wish I could blame it all on waiting for translated subs, but If I had watched it marathon style I would have been tempted to skip through a lot of it. I might rewatch some of the cute earlier scenes again, but I wouldn't ever make it through all 20 episodes again.
My main goal for even finishing this was to see who So-Ra ends up with. The end is anticlimactic, and it fails at giving the grand romantic conclusion it was aiming for. I'd recommend asking someone, if you're curious, rather than sitting through the frustrating last two episodes. Then again, I would recommend skipping the whole thing.
This review is long, I know, but after sticking with this drama for so long I had to vent! : )
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1
1China Continues To Dominate Historical BL, a Masterpiece With Romance, Betrayal, & Reincarnation
When it comes to BL + historical drama, once again China proves that no other country does it better. Our first historical BL drama premiere of 2026 absolutely did not disappoint. From the very first scene, the dark snowy night, breathtaking costumes, stunning cinematography, brutal martial arts fights, and emotional atmosphere, this drama pulls you in instantly and never lets go.The opening episodes are heartbreaking. Watching princes destroy their own flesh and blood for the throne is cruel, tragic, and emotionally intense. Every political move feels dangerous, every conversation hides betrayal, and the palace tension keeps getting better with every episode.
But the real heart of this drama is Fifth Prince Yin Qi and Pei Yanzhi. Childhood best friends turned enemies turned lovers is already one of the best tropes ever, but this drama takes it to another level. The pain between them feels so real. What hurts the most is that they only realize how deeply they love each other when death is already standing in front of them. By the time they finally understand their feelings… it’s already too late.
And then fate gives them a second chance.
Imagine waking up three years in the past, discovering your mother is still alive, and realizing you still have one chance to save the person you love most. Sometimes you never truly understand how much someone means to you until they’re gone, whether it’s your mother, your soulmate, or the life you failed to protect. Heaven literally places fate back into Yin Qi’s hands and asks him: what will you change this time?
The reincarnation storyline is SO GOOD. It adds regret, longing, pain, and desperation to every single scene. Watching Prince Yin Qi try to rewrite destiny while uncovering hidden truths connected to Pei Yanzhi completely destroyed me emotionally. Their chemistry is incredible, every glance, every argument, every quiet emotional moment feels meaningful.
This drama truly has everything:
- One of the best NC scenes (watch end of ep 5)
- Stunning cinematography
-Beautiful OST/music
-Emotional storytelling
-Incredible martial arts scenes
-Palace politics and betrayal
-Reincarnation and second chance romance
-Childhood best friends to enemies to lovers
-Tragic love mixed with hope
-One of the best BL chemistries in historical drama
The visuals are gorgeous, the acting is powerful, and the romance hurts in the best possible way. This is not just another BL drama, it’s a full emotional experience.
They didn’t hold back with the kissing and intimate scenes, and the chemistry felt natural, passionate, and intense. I was not expecting that scene at the end of Episode 5 at all; it felt very erotic and emotional, especially for a historical drama from China. You could even hear the moaning, and everything was shot in such an intimate and beautiful way.
I also love the second couple, the crazy and evil Crown Prince and his servant. Their intimate scenes are wild and add a chaotic, exotic energy to the series
If you love historical BL with angst, reincarnation, political intrigue, forbidden love, and soulmates fighting against fate itself, this is a MUST WATCH.
Another Chinese BL masterpiece.
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After ep 14, it stopped making sense... and started making me uncomfortable.
After ep 14, it stopped making sense. The beginning half was funny and had a refreshing, lovable-without-being-cringe-y, clumsy, and amazingly BLUNT female lead, who was brave enough to do things that would only happen in a drama. It also had a no-nonsense, rational, and caring male lead, who reacted realistically! The female lead knew when she should cut her losses and own up to her schemes quickly. It was lovely to see certain conflicts resolved with such speed without repeat, but still have the male lead give her more opportunity to be around him the more he fell for her. They were a lovely combo that caused me to binge straight through to ep 14 (amazing tension) and made me anxiously wait for the next episodes. The ML wasn't your typical overbearing, unreasonable, cold ML...I loved his interactions with Ji Qiu. Around ep 14, I could even justify some of the ML's antics to provoke the FL, hoping that he would have a frank discussion with the FL in ep 15, but.... that never happened.I binged all the way from ep 15 to ep 24 with growing disappointment. After ep 15, a lot of the vehicles that drove the main romance were ignored, while a monster pile of other conflicts with new characters that were thrown in and resolved within minutes. There were a lot of unrealistic scenarios! While I'm glad for some quick conflict resolution, these new conflicts were unnecessary! The first half had plenty of other conflict that could be flushed out and resolved! While the two other pairings were cute and acceptable, how the drama went about creating one relationship (Si Qi's) and creating conflict in another (Ji Qiu's) was out of nowhere and hard to buy in. I would have loved to see more of a sisterhood between all of the ladies - sooo much potential there that the drama barely cracked the surface. FL's love rival had so much potential to be a supportive rival/sister and that was annoyingly destroyed. She barely had any screen time. I would loved to see the girls gang up on the ML for being a dork and putting the FL through (albeit brief) anguish. Qing Wu and Qi Nian's conflict should've been resolved earlier! That would have made Qing Wu's relationship more palatable, but also her commentary about her partner being legal to marry was so worrisome (smh!).
I love a fluffy cheesy romance and have seen my fair share, but in the latter half, moments got so trope-y (ML went into full overbearing CEO mode with some scenes) that my eyes rolled to the back of my head too many times to count (still squealed my fair share though for some scenes). First half, he was a solid balance of a hidden romantic, then went into full blown romantic, before going back into a repressed, controlling romantic for the last few episodes haha. He didn't ask her opinion for any major decisions involving the two of them, didn't express his feelings toward her properly, and admitted that he was a control freak. He wasn't before! He was a bit harsh to others, no-nonsense, warm to people close to him, and a workaholic before. He had this great storyline with his brother (Si Qi) that was resolved soooo beautifully, but then did a 180 with the female lead and said, "I'm going to be as controlling with you as I was with my brother even though that blew up in my face and I painfully and actively spent the last few years trying to make reparations (like wtf!). Female lead was basically a cheerful, straight-talking bunny, who somehow slinked into a submissive shadow in the latter half. When some of the "romantic" clips in the latter half were released, I actually couldn't watch them because they were that cringey/not romantic.
I was uncomfortable with some scenes with some side characters that skirted consent and harassment... but it's dramaland where these things are unfortunately normalized and utilized to brew conflict. I thought the drama had so much potential, so I'm left very disappointed. It started out being fresh and new and fell back to old C-drama antics and dramatics. The ending is pretty satisfying and cute though.
I loved the quality of the ML's acting until ep 14 (idk, his script was hard to deliver, so props to him) and loved the FL overall (she had plenty of cringe-y moments but was not annoying!) Xin xin (from Le Coup de Foudre <33) and Ji Qiu were played to perfection. I was impressed/moved by FL and Ji Qiu's crying scenes. Love the brothers' conflict and how it was resolved. Loved the grandpa. The FL's friends barely had screentime, but I liked their dynamic with her.
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I honestly admire the idea of the show and how well it was executed. With this type of story, things can easily go wrong. But ''Hi Bye, Mama'' never took this wrong step and it remained good till the end. Writer Kwon Hye Joo for sure knows how to write such heart-warming stories.
However, the reason why I'm not giving a better overall rating is because I think there were a bit too many side stories and characters. Somewhere around the middle, the story kind of dragged too much, then later on became better again. It's not the biggest flaw a show could have, but the fact that I got bored for around 4-5 episodes affected my rating.
The characters were overall very good and the relationship between them were excellently developed. Cha Yu Ri definitely grew on me a lot, the same goes for Gang Hwa and Min Jeong. The sismance between Yu Ri and Min Jeong was great too, I loved how they didn't make them hate each other or something. It just made the drama sweeter.
The acting was amazing! Lee Kyu Hyung with a main role, freaking YES! I've loved him since I saw him in Prison Playbook and I'm so glad that he finally had a main role. Kim Tae Hee, gosh, this woman! I swear to god, when I saw her in Yong Pal, I was so put off by her weak performance that I thought she's one of the worst actresses and I was even sad when I saw she was cast for this drama. But thank you, Tae Hee, for proving me wrong! She was brilliant as Cha Yu Ri, I was so impressed.
So overall, I liked ''Hi Bye, Mama'' and I think a lot of people would enjoy it. I'm just trying to be more honest with my ratings, you know. But yeah, it's a very addicting show and I'm glad that I stayed with it till the end.
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During the first half of the series I was extremely excited. The story of the royals plotting, and scheming, was great. I loved following their rivalries, obsessions, and ruthless ambitions. I thought it was even more impressive considering the fact that most of the main cast was so young. The performances by the teen actors were really great. I think Kim Yoo Jung, and Yeo Jin Goo could rival any adult couple with their performances. l loved watching all the relationships develop, and the fact that there were such strong backstories for the characters. I loved some characters, and loved to hate others. I was instantly hooked, but then all the characters grew up...
Once the characters matured, the show lost some of it's spark for me. I'm not sure if it was because of the pacing, or the constantly depressing tone. It was clear from the first episode that this story would be tragic, but many times in the 2nd half I was bored watching characters cry & scream over the same things. It also seemed irrational for so many characters to be so determined to be with people who didn't love them, so it was harder for me to sympathize with them. The story always managed to pull me back in however with new revelations, or a great scene, but there were still long periods that felt repetitive. This made it much harder to stay excited.
I can't really blame the adult cast, because many of the adult cast members matched their younger counterparts well. I thought Kim Soo Hyun did well as the king, and he really seemed like an older Yeo Jin Goo. Jung Il Woo didn't really look much like his younger version, but I knew to expect a great performance from him. The Queen, Seol, and Jan Shil were all great casting matches. I think the most flawless transition between the young and older version of the character was Jin Ji Hee and Nam Bo Ra. I also think that Nam Bo Ra had one of the most moving scenes in the entire series. On the other hand, one character that was a disappointment was Song Jae Hee as the older Heo Yeom. He just seemed so much older than the rest of the cast, and It was distracting hearing him described as being so handsome when, no offense but... he's one of the least attractive men in the cast.
I think one of the biggest character issues I had was with Wol/older Yeon Woo. I thought she visually matched Kim Yoo Jung, and gave some good emotional performances in some scenes, but she lost all of her charm. She transformed from a young but wise independent thinker, into a willing doormat with a blank wide eyed stare. I really had a hard time believing that such a well read young girl would be so self sacrificing towards the king. I think it also effected their romantic moments together. I think Han Ga In meant for her performance to be melancholy, and altruistic, but instead she often looked bored to me.
Even though all of the main characters had at least one epic crying scene, i barely teared up while watching this. Nam Bo Ra, and Yeo Jin Goo came the closest to making me cry, but I did not have an emotional reaction to many of the sadder parts, which is crazy since the 2nd half is mostly sad parts. Even when characters died my eyes were dry, and I am often a crybaby. I enjoyed watching the relationship between wol, the king, the prince, and the queen, but it lacked enough chemistry to get me emotionally invested in their stories. You still may want to keep tissues nearby just in case, a lot of them.
Speaking of story... The plot itself was a good one, but the pacing of the episodes got worse and worse. There were too many repetitive scenes ( i said this already didn't i. irony...), which fueled much of my boredom. There was also too much reliance on flashbacks, including a flashback of a scene that happened seconds earlier. I didn't lose interest in the story, I just lost patience with how it was being told. The last episode is a perfect example of that. They rushed through endings for major characters, some pretty tragic endings, then filled the time with a silly story about learning to play an instrument. I was satisfied with the ending, but not moved by it.
I would recommend this drama to people who like tragedies (like 49 days, or Sorry I love you). Those looking for more romance (like in Sungkyunkwan Scandal, or Goong) may be disappointed. Those looking for comedy will find some funny moments, but not enough to balance all the crying, sulking, and screaming. Overall I liked the story, but thought the drama was inconsistent. I doubt i would watch this again, but maybe I'd like it more the 2nd time since I now know what to expect.
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2Tale as old as time.
The Legend of Shen Li is a highly entertaining xianxia with a terrific starting hook. Injured while fleeing an unwanted marriage, Shen Li crashes into the mortal realm in her innate phoenix form. Mistaken for a chicken, she is rescued and healed by Xing Yun, a sickly ginseng salesman. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be shipping an unseemly attachment between a haughty chicken and a weak but insolent mortal. Their hilarious interactions and witty repartee had me grinning like a fool. This has to be the first CP that I got invested in before the FL properly meets the ML.While I find Legend of Shen Li quite enjoyable, it is a tale as old as time and I am not just making fun of Xingzhi's age. This kind of forbidden love story between a lonely, crusty old god and a much younger one is the staple of this genre. This one is written more as a character story so there is little plot movement until the second half of the drama. The plot itself leans heavily on well known xianxia tropes with a modern, role reversal approach. What makes it special is that it is well executed, the main CP has scorching chemistry, it is anchored by a stellar cast and tongue-in-cheek dialogue has deep and heart tugging undertones. This is an excellent entry-level xianxia that will thrill and delight newcomers to the genre the most. While die hard fans of the genre will certainly enjoy the fresh take on old themes, they may find the plot predictable after the early arcs.
For me, the mortal realm is always the most interesting xianxia arc and this is no exception. It is at the same time the most disappointing arc in terms of missed opportunities. It is too short and half the time Shen Li is an angry CGI bird. Shen Li's feelings for Xing Yun developed so quickly I felt shortchanged on the how and the why she fell in love. Worse, their story is overshadowed by the two utterly heart wrenching ill-fated love stories. To some extent, the narrative coasts on the residual heat from Princess Agents and assumes the audience is already invested in the main CP. The issue is viewers who did not watch that may not feel the chemistry between them. The arc ends so abruptly that it barely dawns upon me that Shen Li's affections could be one-sided. She very high-handedly falls for a helpless mortal and doesn't give him any say in the matter because she knew it to be transitory. This is quite sad and complex and it is a pity the narrative dealt with it too cursorily.
As someone hungering for closure from Princess Agents, I am stoked to report that the chemistry between Lin Gengxin and Zhao Liying burns as hot as ever. This drama is generous to a fault in fusing passionate love scenes with humor and moving romantic moments. I find myself chuckling at how hot and flustered Shen Li gets by Xingzhi's shameless flirting until the veiled pathos behind Xingzhi's careless words hits me and makes me tear up. Both characters are designed to recycle the strengths of their previous collaboration without taking much risks. Notably, there is no extra dimension or complexity to Zhao Liying's role or portrayal. She once again delivers in spades what she does best from the brilliant, combative glitter in her eyes to her signature awesomely bad-ass fight scenes. I would have liked to see more facets to King Bicang beyond the fierce warrior with a deadpan expression who is casually cruel to CGI animals. There is more scope for Lin Gengxin to shine as Xingzhi is a contradiction; the most powerful and yet the most powerless being in the three realms. I was impressed by Lin Gengxin's heart wrenching and nuanced portrayal of this so very alone ancient being who will crack a joke to stop your heart from breaking for him.
As a couple, Shen Li and Xingzhi are too perfect for each other - their world view is largely aligned and besides the one bombastic obstacle of an existential crisis for the realms, there is no real conflict in their relationship. While they experience some acutely angsty moments, they are all short lived. Most of the intense and lingering agony in this xianxia actually comes from the three devastating side love stories. Both characters are fully realised beings that don't grow much. That is left to the likes of Furong who is my favorite character in the first half of the narrative and the character that shows the most growth overall. His limelight in the second half is stolen by Lady Jin who is by far my favorite character and one who saves the draggy second half of the show for me. I find the villains quite boring and archetypal and those roles are also the least well acted. Even though Shen Li and Xingzhi come together in a moving and masterful ending climax, the finale is too much of something I have seen many times before. I did not enjoy the extended ending fight sequences and the heavy handed CGI.
Despite the unoriginal plot, this is an excellent character driven story. I was invested in many characters beyond the leads - Furong, Youlan, Qing Ye, Feng Lai, Mofang, Lady Jin and the indignant Cluck Cluck. The dialogue uses comedy brilliantly as a gateway to the profound in highlighting complex, deep and at times tragic existential themes. I enjoyed the conversation about how if we can work together against evil, we may no longer need gods to be our babysitters. I also felt a shiver of fear in this age of AI at the idea that as creators, one day we will become an existential threat to our creation. Overall a very enjoyable and highly recommended funny and intelligent xianxia that I am happy to rate 8.5/10.0.
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Very bad plot and unmatched acting skills
I really wanted to love this, especially as a fan of Kim Hye-yoon’s incredible work in Lovely Runner.However, the characterization and plot development here fell short.
While Kim Hye-yoon is a powerhouse, her 'Gen Z gumiho' was written with an annoying edge that her naturally dramatic acting style only amplified, making the character hard to root for.
This was made worse by the total lack of balance with Lomon. He was far too passive; compared to her high energy, he felt devoid of personality and emotional range. Most importantly, he lacked that signature K-drama 'ML gaze'—his eyes never truly sold the idea that he was in love with her.
The two felt like completely different colors that just didn't mix. WIth a strong ML 's acting, the story might be worth watching.
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This review may contain spoilers
Masterpiece of 2024!
I began watching this drama for Jang Ki Yong after loving him in "My Roommate is a Gumiho" - 2021. It didn't took long before I started watching the drama not for him, but because of how amazing it was. Let's discuss all aspects:Storyline:
The plot is beautiful. It all goes amazingly and the bond between the leads is something quite new in the drama world. I get a different vibe in comparison to other dramas.
The superpowers plot is not overdone, and greatly written. Something I really liked is the bond between Ina and Gwiju especially in ep 9. And Ina and Junwoo are such cuties !!! <3
Characters:
Besides the villan mother we do have great character development. I like how Donghee and the grandma are finally realizing the price of their past actions and doing some growing up. Dahee was first presented as a negative character, but we quickly learned she's a sweetheart as well. Her bond with Ina is a pleasure to watch. And her with Gwiju... again I really like their relationship.
OST:
Thumbs up to Lee Sora's OST. <3
Acting/Cast:
The acting is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. Especially Jang Ki Yong's in ep 10 accident. It looked extremely real and natural. Chun Woo-hee is slowly becoming a favorite of mine. She's doing a great job. Also Claudia Kim and So-e are showstealers. I am glad we can see Caludia's gorgeous visuals in the end! And MOON WOOJIN!!! I first watched him in "What's Wrong With Secretary Kim?" and was shook when I saw him again in "Castaway Diva". I really enjoy watching him act. I am sure he'll become an amazing actor as an adult. Can't wait to see him portray adult roles in the future.
Overall:
Give it a try, you might find yourself enjoying the drama!
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