Reviews

What am I even supposed to say after this?? Am I really expected to write a coherent review with all the key points on why this drama was amazing?? That would turn into a whole essay.. Forget about the story, I could literally write pages just about why I liked the FL, Liao Ting Yan or about her relationship with the ML, Sima Jiao..

The world this drama created is rich, dark and gloomy but also hopeful and full of light.. The plot and world building go far beyond what a lot of other dramas have given us.. There are countless vivid moments, beautifully painted scenes.. Sure there were some VFX issues but honestly I would overlook them because of how stunning most of the scenes were.. The world building is done so well but of course, even exemplary world building and background mean nothing if the characters don’t measure up.. There is a huge array of characters throughout the drama.. They were impressive and didn't feel wasted..

Arthur Chen as Sima Jiao was just perfect.. Grandmaster, beautiful, brutal and powerful.. He appears to be cold and arrogant with rough edges that will make you love him even more.. He endured so much.. Tortured, drained of blood and locked away for 500 years since childhood.. He is as dangerous and ferocious as he is subtle and generous.. He hides behind a mask of cold blooded killer but beneath the mask he is kind.. And it only took the FL to reveal that side of him.. He is such a complex, multilayered character..

Wang Ying Lu as Liao Ting Yan was nothing short of amazing.. She is like the most unbothered person alive.. Thrown into a fantasy world, she adapts so quickly that she literally compares working for a murderous immortal to her everyday 9 to 5 struggles.. She starts off as an oblivious protagonist.. Someone who needed to be protected and who only cared about food, rest, and sleep but eventually grows into one of the most powerful individuals in the WDBTD universe.. I absolutely loved her character development..

" You are the only one who can make me yield without a fight..
That makes you the strongest of all.. "

Now to the juicy stuff, the romance.. Romance was chef's kiss.. Absolutely amazing.. The intimacy felt sensual and delightful.. You can take that however you want.. Anyone who has watched this would agree that the leads would look just as good in a modern drama.. So casting directors, you know what to do..

" The most frightening thing isn't death itself.. But the parting it brings.. "

I am not going to lie.. There were moments when I just needed something to happen.. At times, it felt like the drama was dragging things out.. But on the other hand, everything was narrated so well that I couldn’t really complain.. Ultimately every scene felt measured, filled with meaning and significance..

Overall, it was a really good drama even though I wasn’t completely happy with the ending.. Her death and the return to the present were expected, it was obvious that’s how it would go.. I just wish they had spent more time in the present with the characters instead of wrapping it up with a simple ‘ I found you again ’ and a smile.. But honestly who cares after 33 episodes of brilliance in storytelling, performances, visuals and chemistry that led up to that final compromise?? I absolutely loved it..

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Seriously ???????

I can't leave without writing a review, it's the first time I've done it, but I'm so disappointed and angry that I really feel compelled to write this. the drama is about a person who after being killed by "the villains" reincarnates as a member of their family several years in advance (more than 20 years) with all the knowledge of the future, of his new family with whom he worked in his first life, he is reincarnated as a slightly marginalized child in his new family for one reason or another, but despite this he succeeds in the first episodes in investing the knowledge of his past to attract the attention of his grandfather, CEO of the biggest company in Korea, and made a lot of profit from it, he earned a lot of money and entered the best university in Korea and even created an investment company which will later help him a lot in his revenge plan. this is the beginning of the drama.

I was very enthusiastic and I said to myself that it is the perfect drama. until he started messing around in the middle of the show and I really started to wonder, do you deserve this chance the universe has given you??? why deserve such a miracle if you are not going to exploit it well. but that was a normal frustration coming from someone who loves drama, it didn't stop me from continuing to watch, despite the fact that none of the women in this show, including FL, was satisfactory in my opinion, I just closed my eyes to the fact that the aunts, the grandmother, the girlfriend .... were all either stupid or mean or weak and insignificant in the course of events.

But. the end, is the biggest disappointment I've ever had in Kdrama. I can't accept that the screenwriter decides to screw up the drama this way with such an end. I just feel like I wasted my time watching this series. I do not recommend, run away from this drama it's a big waste of time.

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A demonstration how a series demolishes itself.

Too bad I woke up with a bad headache today and I could not watch anything. 12 hours later I'm fine enough to watch the conclusion of this pile of crap. This series is completely unbelievable. First of all the main couple was quite boring, their brake-up was extremely stupid and the series did nothing which was in the least interesting for them. And then they had a second couple - the only thing interesting in this show - and they killed it off. This was the ONLY thing keeping me on this show. I gave a rat's ass about the so called main couple - you can play it at 2x speed an you won't miss a thing. The second couple was the star of the show, the believable one, the guys who can act well. And then Mr. "President" died and they introduced a new "boss" but he had no impact at all. There was speculation it was all a fake death to reveal a conspiracy of the new boss but no - the scriptwriters had no imagination at all.

And the main couple - they got on my nerves so much especially when they talk about the past. Mr. good guy was "Oh, it was a misunderstanding? I'm glad we could clear that up." - WTF man? 10 years wasted because your lover did not trust you? I would have exploded, cursed him out for at least an hour - but I would never have chased him in the first place.

So my verdict is, this show is a waste of time. The second couple should have the show for themselves and the main couple should have gone in the trashcan where the script for them belongs too. I have no clue what you need to smoke or take to come up with such an outrageous storyline. And as I can see in some reviews, people are digging this bullshit. I can't understand that. If your lover does not trust you and does not talk to you, he is a waste of your time and not worth your effort. The quite high rating is only because of the second couple, even when the two children did lighten the mood a bit.

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Less means more, more means less…

At least in terms of number of cliches, politines, schemes and unnecessary side characters. Develop and elaborate on what you already have - sadly the writer did not get the memo.

Yes, I am aware that all these unnecessary side plots and twists were part of the source material, but I am also quite aware of the fact one should be selective of how much they decide to bring to the adaptation. It’s okay to remove some characters from the plot if they don’t really add much to it anyway.

First half of the show was honestly pure perfection. Female lead with good character that you want to root for. Too perfect to be true male lead. Supporting characters that feel like real people. Well paced drama and conflicts and get reasonable resolutions. Villains that are so awful you kind of start to appreciate how much of a hazardous waste they are.

And then the second half happened… Adding one dimensional characters just to annoy the viewers (since the same plot could have been achieved with the already existing cast). Why? Tell me why they decided adding side plots and characters to never develop them, never give a proper closure and actually make the already existing set up more messy and unrealistic, would be a good idea. Adding one dimensional, poorly written and poorly acted characters will never increase the quality and value of your project.

But even with that messy last few episodes, the drama managed to end on an enjoyable note. One thing I for sure appreciated was the message - you do not really need magic powers and time travel to change your life. Pay attention to your surroundings, see the value in people who support you, don’t be scared to ask for help, do not let people treat you badly - you deserve better. You have more power in your hands than you might think, you just have to take that first step and start using it.

That would be the “message” part, how about the romance? As for the chemistry, it was mediocre. I honestly think Park Min Young does not have good chemistry with any of her romantic co-actors. All of her rom-coms usually feel one sided - I see a lot of feelings and passion from the men, and then… not much from her. It’s the same case here. For how unreasonably perfect and poorly developed Yoo Ji Hyuk was, Na In Woo truly sold the character and even if by the end of the drama I did not feel like I know Ji Hyuk that well, I knew how much he loves Ji Won.

While I did not vibe with Park Min Young’s romantic scenes, I do think she did a great job with the personal journey of Kang Ji Won - from the shell of a human, defeated, angry, dying, to a confident, driven and strong woman. I felt her pain, I felt her frustration, I felt her fear, but I also felt the satisfaction and the sense of victory with each and every positive step she took.

All that said, I think we can all agree that the true stars of the drama were Lee Yi Kyung and Song Ha Yoon - what a powerful duo. They could be given as a definition of characters you love to hate. Cannot believe I’m saying it, but I will miss their selfish, crazy, self pity shenanigans.

Production value? Soundtrack? Set design? Makeup and costumes? All typical mainstream drama level - great, but not outstanding and for sure not memorable.

Overall, it was extremely entertaining, then it became extremely frustrating, but still entertaining. Closer to the end it hit rock bottom and almost made me drop, just to finish on a high note again.

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U-turn on expectations and clichés.

Not gonna lie - I dropped the show after the first two episodes. They were fine, but did not grab my attention. Next week I felt like watching a rom-com, so I picked it up again, and from that moment I just enjoyed the silly ride it took me for. They really played into, and at the same time broke all the cliches of kdrama rom-coms, and it was so much fun to watch

The story is something we have seen countless times - a fake relationship leads to a real one. Rich guy falls for a poor girl, yet few twists made it much more compelling and interesting. The female lead was not a damsel in distress - she is competent, friendly, strong. The male lead was not a cold lead - he is a cute and soft potato. The father was not evil, rather funny and a bit childish. The best friend second lead deal is dealt with in a realistic manner.

While the conflicts and issues between the main couple come from their different backgrounds, the second couple’s issues come from the differences of their personalities. Thanks to that we see a variety of interesting situations that kept me entertained.

That said, there was one side plot situation that had quite an impact on the characters and their behavior, but then was gone and never mentioned, simply because the current plot progression did not need it anymore. I wished we had some kind of closure or explanation for it.

The characters were all quite fun to follow. Except for the main cast that delivered a good performance, I want to talk about Seo Hye Won who played Jo Yoo Jung Young Seo's cousin. The girl was hilarious. Her random English lines with cartoonish subtitles on screen were some of the best scenes. She was extremely over the top, but it worked perfectly in the context of the show and overall tone.

While I have no huge complaints about any of the performances, I was slightly disappointed with Kim Min Gue. His character lacked expression. I get that he was this well mannered, stoic, logic driven guy, but I was just not completely convinced by his delivery.

It’s an over the top romantic comedy - funny sounds, funny animations, funny subtitles on the screen, but all of that was rather fitting and elevated the scenes - be it making them more funny, cute, sometimes cringe. I mean, the whole show is cringe, but I appreciate how they embraced that. Sometimes it’s the way to go - don’t take yourself too seriously, so people can enjoy it for what it is.

I don’t really have much to say about the soundtrack. All the songs were nice, cute and matching the drama, but the only one that truly caught my attention was Han Seung Yoon’s Whatever You Want.

Overall, if you are in the mood for romance, I don’t think you will find any better production from the past few years. It was cute, entertaining, did not have any over the top problematic plot lines, no random murder mystery we sometimes see in Korean rom-coms. Sometimes all one needs is good looking people falling in love with each other and all the cringe and sweet butterflies that come with it.

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Firstly, I would like to say that 6.5 is not a super low rating for me, it just means average. For me, Meow, the Secret Boy is simply an average show -- not too bad but not exceptionally good either.

The fact that the drama was shortened is kind of upsetting, because I can't imagine how sad the production team was when they saw the low ratings. However, I can't deny that there was no enough story to fill 16 episodes. And they kind of gave a proper closure to the story which was good.

So Meow is definitely a very cute, fluffy show and as a huge cat lover, I can't deny the fact that I kind of enjoyed watching it. I mean, the story is not the most brilliant thing ever, but it was nicely executed. The main couple is actually very cute and I found their interactions very sweet.

However, the main couple was pretty much the only thing I really loved in this drama. The second lead Jae Sun was such a pointless character. Sorry but I don't usually like second leads and you have to be a lot more to impress me. Here's a very unpopular opinion - I don't like Seo Ji Hoon's acting. Seriously, this man has one expression on his face all the time and he isn't convincing at all. If you look at his profile pic here on MDL, you'll see that expression of his. That is all he has. All. The. Time.

The acting was fine. Shin Ye Eun stole the show for me, her expressions and reactions were priceless. Myung Soo did a nice job at portraying Hong Jo and I think he suited this role very well. The only problem I had with the acting was Seo Ji Hoon. And he had a looot of scenes, quite unfortunately.

I was very impressed with the cinematography, though. The drama has some very pretty scenes which were definitely pleasing to the eyes. The OST was also cute, it suited the atmosphere of the show well.

So overall, would I recommend this show? Yes and no. If you're looking for something light-hearted and fluffy, then it might suit your taste and mood. Otherwise, this drama is not a must-watch and I don't think you'll miss a lot if you don't watch it.

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Short, sweet, and adorable. The ability to see is a such a blessing that we take for granted. Imagine living with no sight for even an hour, it would drive you insane. We should be more kind and thoughtful towards those who are missing out on all the great things because of various disabilities. This movie made me think of  volunteering to lend a helping hand to those who need it. Inspiring others and spreading hope (& a positive mindset) in life is such a wonderful thing.  Always remember that not everyone has what you have and that while you might think that your life is all messed up, think about those in a more bleak state or even living a dangerous lifestyle.

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Are there any bad ideas?

"Sh**ting Stars" Writer Production Meeting

Producer: "So our primary storyline is a rom-com with Lee Sung Kyung and Kim Young Dae. Seems like a winner. What else are we gonna do?"

Writer: "How about a hint of a love triangle?"

P: "Sure."

W: "And a secondary romance."

P: "Love it."

W: "I'm thinking about a third romance too."

P: "Super."

W: "In fact, I've got ideas for another romance, maybe even two."

P: "We'd only be able to give the one about thirty seconds of screentime per episode, but so what? Let's do it. The other one gets no screentime but gets mentioned occasionally. That's no problem."

W: "And an anti-fan subplot."

P: "Awesome"

W: "We could also do a parent abandonment deal."

P: "Hell yes, let's do that too."

W: "Oooh, what do you think about a suicide by a childhood best friend?"

P: "Winner."

W: "A stalker?"

P: "Sold."

W: "Seriously? All this?"

P: "Yes. Absolutely and if you come with anything else, we'll do that too."

W: "How do we transition back and forth between all this?"

P: "There's gonna be a lot of hugging."

W: "Does that make any sense?"

P: "This is K Drama baby. We don't need to always make sense."

Does this sound exhausting and chaotic? Yes and that's "Sh**ting Stars". All of these things. Five relationships. Multiple dramatic subplots. Constant tone changes. Crises. Resolutions. Confessions. Binge drinking. And on and on and on.

Despite the kitchen sink and everything else in sight being thrown in, the more frenetic and messy things get, the better. The cast does a remarkable job at entertaining with a lot of these different elements. Lee Sung Kyung and Kim Young Dae are both terrific comedians and while they may not be entirely convincing as a romantic couple, they both consistently generate genuinely funny material. Lee Sung Kyung may not have the most varied range, but when she has a character in her element that matches her strengths - extreme extroversion and borderline emotionally manic - she's a joy. Kim Young Dae is slightly more subtle, relying on a slew of facial expressions and sly dialogue delivery. When the narrative around them is merely just average, these two are good enough with basic material to elevate the show to genuinely entertaining.

Park So Jin and Lee Jung Shin might not match the two leads in acting talent, but they do generate traction as a supporting couple. And Lee Si Woo is a gem as a pampered young actress that unexpectedly falls for her acting partner.

Unfortunately, the dramatic interludes come and go so quickly that they don't pack any punch. And with all of them centering around Kim Young Dae's Tae Sung, every time one of these subplots takes over, Lee Sung Kyung's Han Byul gets pushed in to a corner with far too little to do.

Worse, the most prominent character after the two leads is Yoon Jong Hoon's Yoo Sung. It's a bland character with a flat and one-dimensional portrayal. And when a relationship develops between Yoo Sung and Kim Yoon Hye's Ho Yeong, it's all awkward and uncomfortable.

Overall, "Sh**ting Stars" has some really entertaining stretches but mixed with some dreadful sections. But the two leads and the laughs they manufacture push this over the line in to recommended territory.

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Bromance is the kind of drama that upon first look is remarkable cliché: a young woman cross-dressing as a man. For that reason it might fly under the radar for many drama fans. Aficionados will be familiar with the premise through Coffee Prince, You’re Beautiful and Beautiful Boys and might not be interest in another similar story as they’re pretty hard to top up in terms of innovation, script, performances and general appeal. Newcomers will likely dab through the first two considering the revered status both Coffee Prince and You’re Beautiful have in drama land.

Being familiar with previous dramas there was never an inkling to watch Bromance. It’s like eating the best ice-cream one has ever eaten in their lives. Once one has that experience it becomes borderline impossible to find another ice-cream whose texture might be better than that one. Coffee Prince, You’re Beautiful and Beautiful Boys are like vanilla, strawberry and chocolate ice-cream; the most amazing flavours in the planet for some, for others, might be mango, lemon and raspberry or any other flavour, perfect, unique, irreplaceable.

Bromance will not top up the most amazing ice-cream one will ever have within the genre. Not because it’s bad overall, not because the script is bland, blasé, inconsistent and positively appalling, not because the acting is awful dabbing into dreadfulness at times making one cringe in agony, or the music so loud one that one is left tuning the sound down as not to hear the screen coil in desperation. Bromance will not become a favourite ice-cream flavour for either aficionados or newcomers for the simple reason that afficionados already have their favourite ice-cream and unless there’s nothing to watch, which there is with interesting plots most likely will stray from it and newcomers have their flavours to discover and Bromance does not make the top list, regretfully.
Bromance is a really good drama surprisingly and rather addictive from about minute 2 of episode 1 to the point where one will want to binge watch it straight.

The script is very consistent and full of texture like a raspberry sorbet, with the right balance and essence; the acting from an audience point of view is compelling and believable, bring the story to life in what seems like an effortless manner alternating scenes of pure screen silent screaming to giggles to a very loud laughter and nearly jumping on the sofa like a teenager being silly, enjoying a really tasty ice-cream, and not feeling one bit bad about it. The highlight being the end of each episode with entails the start of the next one when one binges on 15 episodes of Bromance in a day and half. To think that there are dramas that still have that effect on someone after countless dramas, some really spectacular, others not really but that’s the life of a drama enthusiast.

Zi Feng is a triad leader and the general manager of an amusement park. He commands respect although not as a villain but as a man who works hard, loves his family and protects those he cares about. Zi Feng is so incredibly human that is surreal and that humanity is what makes the audience empathise with him. He’s lovable as a male character; he’s honest and caring, incredibly loyal with a great sense of justice and responsibility but also struggling with his feelings for the person he loves in the beginning, a woman pretending to be a man. Zi Feng falls in love with Pi Ya Nou as a person, not caring whether or not Ya Nou is a man or a woman.

Ya Nuo is a young woman living as a young man due to a fortune telling prediction that she should leave as such until she reached her 26th birthday. She meets Du Zi Feng with whom she becomes sworn brothers but over the course of time develops feelings for him. Ya Nuo is fiercely loyal, kind and generous putting everyone’s needs in front of hers. She complements Zi Feng in ways that many female characters do not complement the male and for that the writers should be credited for. Megan Lai performs Ya Nuo brilliantly giving the character a life of its own.

Zi Feng and Ya Nuo should go down in Taiwanese drama history land as one of the most amazing couples ever to grace the screen so in tune they are with one another, like Ying and Yang.

The OST is particular vibrant with two solid exciting tracks performed by Bii, Ephocal Times & Back in Time.

Overall Bromance is a breath of fresh air in drama sphere biased towards old conceptual premises, however the mix of flavours between gender bender echo chic cliché with an original setting and character frames is like putting different ice-cream flavours in a blender. One might think that the consistency looks slightly off, that the taste might be just too familiar to give it a try but it’s left in awe wonderland when trying it out, wishing for more, needing more, wanting more and realizing that the ice-cream is nearly over so it’s better to start enjoying it while it lasts and before it melts.

The best things in life are those one has to wait the longest to achieve but in the end it’s all worth it!

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Two Men, One Storm: The Unexpected Pull of To My Shore

Appendix – After Episode 14

Watching up to episode fourteen, *To My Shore* stopped being just a beautifully filmed crush for me and started feeling like sitting with two very real, very damaged people who keep choosing each other in the worst possible ways.

At first, it was easy to float on the smoke and flirtation. Fan Xiao’s voice, the way he leans into Yu Shulang’s space, the pretend coincidences that feel like destiny – all of that still works on a visceral level. But the more the story unfolds, the more it becomes clear that what looked like fate was, in many moments, design. Fan Xiao isn’t just “drawn” to Yu Shulang. He plans, he tests, he interferes. Those dreamy meetings now carry the aftertaste of someone who has never been safely loved trying to build certainty by tightening his grip.

Yu Shulang, too, has shifted for me. In the beginning he read as almost impossibly composed – a man with clean edges and tidy morals. After fourteen episodes, he feels much more breakable. You can see how much of that calm is simply practice: an orphan who learned early that if you keep yourself small and steady enough, you can survive almost anything. Watching him slowly open up, only to realise how much of what he’s standing on was manufactured by Fan Xiao, hurts in a way the early romantic framing doesn’t prepare you for.

And yet, what keeps me invested is that the show never treats either of them as monsters. Fan Xiao is cruel, but his cruelty is legible: a child who watched love fail catastrophically, now terrified of being left behind again, building elaborate ways to make sure people can’t leave. Yu Shulang is kind, but his kindness is not saintly; it comes with tiredness, with anger, with that quiet, tired look of “I thought I was done suffering like this.” They are not tropes so much as two people whose worst habits happen to collide with each other’s softest spots.

By episode fourteen, the tension I once read as deliciously romantic has turned into something more complicated. When Fan Xiao looks at Yu Shulang now, I don’t just see longing. I see guilt, stubbornness, and a fear so old it doesn’t know how to do anything but hold tighter. When Yu Shulang looks back, there’s still that flicker of attraction, but it’s buried under the knowledge of exactly how much was a lie. The show sits in that discomfort and doesn’t rush to soothe it.

For me, that’s where *To My Shore* has quietly grown up. It’s still gorgeous. It still knows how to flirt. But by fourteen episodes in, it’s also honest about how love from wounded people can be selfish, clumsy, and deeply unfair. It’s no longer just a story about two men who “reroute” each other in a poetic sense. It’s about what it costs to change course when your whole survival has been built on never trusting anyone to stay.

As an appendix to my first review, I’d say this: the early episodes made me excited for episode three. Everything up to episode fourteen has made me nervous – in a good way – about how far the show is willing to let these two hurt each other before it dares to talk about healing. It’s still a romance. But now, it’s also a slow, painful study of how hard it is to unlearn the idea that the only way to keep someone is to never let them go.

……….

To My Shore starts like a quiet romance novel that suddenly discovers how to flirt. The first two episodes unfold with a slow, smoky elegance that pulls you in before you realize what’s happening. The dialogue is lush, almost musical, and Fan Xiao’s low, textured voice could convince anyone that gravity is optional. Honestly, half the show feels like a BL audio drama someone accidentally filmed.

The “coincidences” between Fan Xiao and You Shu Lang are anything but. They’re storybook encounters wrapped in fate, like two characters who keep drifting into the same chapter no matter how far apart they begin. Fan Xiao arrives with a teasing edge, poking at You Shu Lang’s overly saintlike calm. But somewhere in episode two, that teasing shifts. The tension turns softer. His gaze stops being a game and starts being a confession he hasn’t said out loud yet.

What makes it compelling is the transparency. Fan Xiao pretending to be lost is probably the least believable lie in the entire show. This man doesn’t lose his way. He chooses it. And what he’s really choosing is You Shu Lang. The directions are just an excuse to get close, to pull this orderly, gentle man into a world that runs on instinct and intensity.

And that contrast is exactly where the magic lives. You Shu Lang moves through life with clean moral lines. Fan Xiao moves like a beautiful storm that refuses to stay outside. When they meet, something shifts. Not dramatically, not loudly. Just a quiet, thrilling imbalance that hints at a love story waiting to tip over.

If these first two episodes are the foundation, then To My Shore is shaping up to be a story about two men who don’t just collide—they reroute each other. It’s about discovering that getting lost can sometimes lead you somewhere you were meant to find.

And yes, episode three cannot arrive fast enough.

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You know what? I really tried. Some of you might raise eyebrows that somebody is able to drop something when there's only one episode left, but seriously, I do not even care anymore and I'm going to explain exactly why.

Story
Ugly Betty. Which actually made it interesting for the first 10 episodes; also, having worked in this setting before, I was engrossed into the whole editing team problems and how hard is to actually write a successfull magazine. That's till the main characters kept being more focused on their cheesy love story, rather than their overall lives, which almost made them look like a bunch of teenagers that sway at the sight of their other half instead of 30 years old adults, till the last few episodes where the setting was once again picked up, which signed some enjoyable moments overall, but a bit late for me to not feel deeply annoyed about most things at that point; everything was rather unbalanced. But turning back to the romcom part, based on the title, "She was Pretty", I expected a love story about a guy that turned handsome and a girl that turned "ugly" (even though Hye Jin was anything but ugly, more like uncared for). I expected them to fall in love despite their very different priorities and very different styles, to learn to accept eachother for what they are, which they did at one point, but the message was never properly delivered in the end; "She WAS Pretty" had no meaning in the end. As you know, Korea is a society that focuses on looks to the point of obsession, the drama was initially good at showing us that, if you have messy hair and don't apply make up, people are going to look at you almost with disdain, if you're fat, it's even worst, alienation and bullying is going to await you; well, unfortunately, drama didn't manage to keep to its own theme. During the last 6 episodes, it barely even mattered anymore; I felt like I was watching a different show entirely, which was a real pain for me because I really enjoyed it overall up to halfway through. What could have turned out as a memorable fashion-related-setting romcom with the good message of "looks into a superficial world don't necessarily have to matter", fell into the usual troupes of its own genre.

Characters:
Mostly superficial. Bland. Nobody saved itself, besides Shin Hyeok. And let me get this straight. There have been attempts of giving them deepness and character development. I liked Seong Joon's condition, I liked Hye Jin's self sacrificing personality, I liked Ha Ri's inner struggle, but they went nowhere. By episode 15 of the show, Seong Joon turned into a hopeless romantic, Hye Jin turned into an observer, just simply answering and reacting to what was happening (typically romcom heroine), as for Ha Ri, useless tragedy and convenient reason to drag the plot, but I did appreciate her resolve to start doing things on her own, without any help. The rest of the cast? Forgettable, despite being lots of developing potential through the editing team characters as well, but just ignored for the sake of romance. As for, Shin Hyeok, he was the only character that knew and had any shades of "greys". And no, for any one of you that is starting to assume, no, I am not a Siwon fangirl, I didn't even consider his existence till this drama. And no, I did not exactly ship Hye Jin and Shin Hyeok; to be sincere, I did not ship anybody. He was just the character that connected them all and that, in the end, tied them all up and motivated all of them up. If there's a reason why the characters managed to reach that little character development that they had, is exclusively because of Shin Hyeok.

Acting/Cast
Hwang Jung Eum. Oh, Hwang Jung Eum, you are only sweet when you stop overreacting, sweetheart. Comedy doesn't mean overreaction; no, let me rephrase, comedy doesn't mean yelling and hiding under tables, dropping everything in your way and act as if you're on crack 90% of the time. It's the problem that I had with Kill Me, Heal Me comedy as well, when she was involved. For the rest, I must praise Siwon, of course. I don't know if he improoved or not from his last role, but I really liked to witness his famous "derp faces", as well as his funny to bittersweet expression changes. It was very warming. As for Park Seo Joon, I must compliment him when he had to deal with his post-traumatic condition, but besides that, not much else. The rest of the cast was pretty much average, didn't really made me care about their performance.

Music
Forgettable and limited. I can't remember any of the tracks up to now.

Tools/Storytelling/Execution (because I consider them important enough to mention now)

For once I didn't feel that spammed by flashbacks as I usually do when I watch Korean dramas, which is good. The filming was also deal with pretty nicely, I guess. I at least have nothing to complain. What I do have to complain about though, is the storytelling and execution. There are lots of points that are ignored from episode 1 of the show, which people tried to assume, but till an official answer, it just stays as that: assuming. For example (jump over this if you don't want to read SPOILERS), we have Hye Jin complaining and saying that she wished she had Ha Ri's face and body, yet, as the best friend and "wife" Ha Ri is supposed to be, did she try to help Hye Jin? No. Did Hye Jin ask for help? No. Explanation? None. Another one, Hye Jin is asked by the director to be more Most-like and she tried to apply make-up, which she fails horribly. Why did that happen? Pride because she had no intention to ask for help? Then what about later? Somebody that has no idea how to even apply eye-shadows, suddenly becomes able to. How? Errr....And there are more but I'm just going to END SPOILERS HERE.
You might say that nobody cares and these are just me picking on unimportant details; well, I must bring to your attention that these "details" makes the "execution". I do not take a story seriously, when the details just don't match or are skipped over. It's a superficial way of storytelling and execution that I will never aproove of, unless its intent IS clear to be superficial to begin with and have a completely different goal than me focusing on the story.

Overall
It was painful. The reason why I dropped it when I only had one episode left, is because it was so painful to think of what it was and what could have become, that I couldn't bear my frustration anymore. I don't usually drop series. I watch even what doesn't particularly interest me; a good show can be good even if I'm not emotionally invested in it or I can't care less about the topic. I even keep watching it, when I find it bad, but at least I can have fun to point out everything wrong with it. In this case, I couldn't even have the pleasure of laughing at it, for how frustrated I became. If it rode on Kill Me, Heal Me's popularity? Maybe, yes. But I don't count that as the only factor why it failed. And I didn't even like Kill Me, Heal Me either.

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I must protect this world because when the Three Realms remain, you remain

When he understood how disguisable the whole world was, he was lack of strength and collapsed. But your love had always been beside you, protecting you during all ups and downs; Promises are going to be broken. Laws are going to be broken. It's restricted love, no one should fall in love but Love is born within our hearts, no one can escape it.

Immortal Samsara/Agarwood like Crumbs is your classic xianxia drama with all the elements you're used to seeing in this genre. Nevertheless, these are executed in such a way that makes it a compelling and heart-wrenching journey filled with all kinds of emotions.

Sovereign Lord Ying Yuan has been ruling the Nine Heavens for over ten thousand years under the guidance of the Supreme Majesty, who has forbidden love for all Heaven's immortals, and the company of the other three sovereign lords. Since the very day Ying Yuan was born, he hasn't lived one day for himself but for the well-being of the six realms and all their living creatures, sticking to and not doubting once Heaven's rules. However, one day he runs into the witty and naturally talented immortal attendant, Yan Dan. He takes her under his wing to help her improve her cultivation, they start as a bickering couple with hilarious interactions, but as time passes by, and they spent more time together, they fall deeply in love with each other.

Yan Dan gives her all to protect and look after Ying Yuan during his lowest time. She gives him hope, shows him that he can also live for himself, and hands him one of the happiest moments of his life. At that time, the agarwood (their love) was already burning, but Heaven's rules and Ying Yuan's responsibilities wouldn't let them be together, so they entered a Samsara (The eternal cycle of birth, suffering, death, and rebirth).

Story:
Yan Dan and Ying Yuan's relationship complexity, building, and depth of their feelings are one of the aspects that I appreciate the most about this drama. If they want their love to blossom, they need to find the middle ground between their love and their responsibilities and start to understand each other's personalities, feelings, and burdens. The different experiences and hardships they go through in the drama, from the Heaven Realm to the Mortal realm, it's for them to grow as a couple and also individuals. Their character growth will surely don't disappoint, in fact, both of them are some of the most well-developed characters I've ever seen.

Throughout their engaging journey, they'll meet fantastic and memorable supporting characters with their own compelling story to tell. Here I have to highlight the SML, Yu Mo, the bond he builds not only with Yan Dan but also with Ying Yuan is the epitome of how the human or maybe immortal relationships in this drama are filled with love, friendship, and support. He's the greenest SML ever, and one of my favorite supporting characters.

I went through divergent emotions, from sadness, frustration, disbelief, and pain to excitement, nostalgia, satisfaction, and pure happiness. Furthermore, the unfolding of the story comes with many unexpected turns and valuable life lessons for us as viewers about the meaning of true love, giving to others but also receiving, the real value of power and life, and much more which make this drama a treat to watch.

Acting/cast:
I have to praise all the cast for conveying in such a beautiful and touching way their character's feelings.

Cheng Yi played three different roles here, Ying Yuan, Tang Zhou, and Xuan Ye, and he showcased how fantastic and talented he is. Even from his body language, expressions, posture, eyes, and way of talking, you can differentiate them and feel their pain. One of my favorite scenes is two of these characters having a heartfelt talk, he interacting with himself had me crying. Undoubtedly, an astonishing performance.

Yang Zi's performance as Yan Dan and Bai Piaoliang was outstanding. I've seen many of her dramas, and though I loved many of them, Yan Dan is the first character of hers who has thoroughly grown on me. The shift from a worry-free, witty and young fairy who wanted to slack off and depend on her big sister to a mature and intelligent character with heavy burdens was perfectly displayed by Yang Zi's acting.

Yang Zi and Cheng Yi's chemistry is also remarkable, even their slightest interactions were especially memorable and heart-fluttering moments. Yan Dan and Ying Yuan, as stand-alone characters and as a couple have become my absolute favorites.

Looking forward to both Cheng Yi's and Yang Zi's dramas in the future. Likewise, I highly recommend watching Immortal Samsara's hilarious BTS for seeing these two comedians sharing one brain cell and having a great time filming this drama.

The supporting characters' acting was also touching and memorable. Praise for Ray Chang as Yu Mo, Fu Fang Jun as Xuan Xiang, Meng Zi Yi as Zhi Xi, Li Xin Ze as Hua Qin, Zhu Li Lan as Zhao Lan, and many more, I'm also looking forward to their growth as actors and future projects.

Music.
The OST was utterly good. Sometimes, I'd play some of the songs and cry. They played in the right moments, conveying and making deeper the characters' feelings. Some of my personal favorites:
- 无忘 (Never Forget) - 张磊 (Zhang Lei). "I once borrowed your eyes to warm up the coldest moment"
- 忘川 (Forget the River) - 成毅 (Cheng Yi). "Gently cover up all manner of the human world, and you will be dustless"
- 望辰 (Watch the Day) - 杨紫 (Yang Zi) "There is the person who broke into my heart and my dreams"

Rewatch value:
I don't usually rewatch any drama, but this is an exception. I rewatched the first ten episodes already, repeated many scenes countless times, and planned to binge-watch all this drama again in the upcoming days.

Reminders/random thoughts:
- The title of this drama, Immortal Samsara, as I commented, means the eternal cycle of life, suffering, death, and rebirth, which leads me to warn you that this is a very slow burnt, and heavy angst drama. Opinions on this were pretty divided. I felt the angst was very well-done and balanced since the main leads' decisions make sense and are not led by dumb misunderstandings or noble idiocy, but with the growth, they need to function together. However, other viewers may find it overwhelming. So know what you're getting yourself into XD.
- Rumours say that due to Chinese government episode length regulations, some parts of this drama were deleted. So some episodes' editing may come as choppy, I remember about two or three that were like this.
- If you take the time to think about the reasons behind the characters' actions, expressions, and decisions, I believe it'll enhance your watching as it did with mine.
- Drama-wise, they extended the mortal realm arc more than they should, but I still found it very enjoyable to watch.
- Keep in mind that the SFL here serves the purpose to catalyze YY and YD's story.
- This show has tons of parallels for the main leads, especially between Heaven and the Mortal realm, so it's fascinating catching on to them.
- Some of the supporting characters' stories also serve as "What if" narratives for the main leads' relationship struggle.
- If you have already watched this drama and you're just randomly reading reviews, I created an explanation of the ending for the viewers to check out: https://mydramalist.com/discussions/immortal-samsara-special/81271-summary-and-explanation-of-immortal-samsara-ending

Note:
This drama is 59 episodes plus two special episodes of eight minutes each. I recommend watching with some time gap between the ending and the two specials, as people who watched this drama while airing did, since the change of feelings and emotions may come as abrupt otherwise. That's why these two specials are not actual full-length episodes and were released days later of the actual ending.

Conclusion:
I consider Immortal Samsara as one of the best dramas I've ever watched. It has all the elements I seek in a drama, it was an exciting and thoroughly emotional journey, and I cannot put into enough words how much I love this show. I highly recommend to everyone to give it a try.

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The story within the story.

I love this show for the way it’s written and shown. I believe in all the dramas I’ve seen, this is one where it really gives us thorough background of the characters so it’s a well woven story of the people in it. It’s so well acted, yes I’ll get to the leads but all the others are doing a marvelous job in their own parts. I’m specifically shouting out the elders and much appreciation to their work. The leads have a great future in their industry as I can only see their skills as getting better.

This story has everything from power struggles not just in crown but each involved families in its surroundings. I can see the well plan of details as well as story as it keeps us in all states of emotions. Yup, well balanced. I look forward to upcoming episodes but also with the foreboding notion it will come to an end. A very well written, directed, and casted production I’m thoroughly enjoying.

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This is my second attempt to write a review, because with time passing, my thoughts and impressions changed a lot.

Let's start with the good things: the chemistry of those two guys is very nice, the production felt high quality despite the choppy editing we got sometimes, the acting was very good from everyone, the music was also great.

Now let's talk about the elephant in the room: Ji Woo's behavior. We learned in s1 that he is an awkward guy, who has some trust issues and likes to put up walls. But he was also adorable, he smiled occasionally, he was pretty lively despite most of the time appearing rather calm and looking gloomy. He had interest in the world around him, and he also was interested in Seo Joon. Seriously, he was cute. Good-looking too, a good cook. And last but not least: he was good at heart. He had a lot to offer, and I could 100% see why Seo Joon felt for him. They both had different personalities, but resonated well together. A match made in heaven. Sure, the viewer could assume they would get some problems in their relationship. Maybe their different personalities would be an issue sooner or later, maybe Seo Joon being an idol/movie star and having a tight schedule would make everything difficult. But still we trusted in that love, and - I'm talking here for myself - I trusted in those two guys because they have a pure heart.

Now we got s2. We learn they broke up. Why? Well, that's the question that wasn't answered for the longest time. We as viewers had to guess what the reason was for Ji Woo suddenly ghosting Seo Joon. He just left him a note and vanished. Is this a mystery series? We then got some flashbacks (we later learn those scenes were from the future too), we get a lot of angst, a lot of drama, in the first two episodes at least we got a bit of humor too. Nothing was explained well. They used their time to introduce new characters with their own storyline. They weren't just there to support the main story. During all that time, we still didn't know what was going on in Ji Woo's head. Instead we had to endure how he treated Seo Joon like sh*t. It was pretty obvious he didn't enjoy it though. It was his way of pushing Seo Joon away. He just put up a big wall like he did in s1 too, but this time it was too much. He just crossed the line. He was cruel. A person that's good at heart, shouldn't be that cruel. He could have behaved differently. People tend to forgive this behavior, because Ji Woo was also suffering. I can't forgive it. From my perspective, being weak and hurt and confused, is no excuse to hurt other people badly, especially the ones you apparently love. He just went too far.

So what happens next? The series is almost over, and we don't even know the full reason for the break-up. Some mysteries were resolved about Ji Woo's parents, and then we FINALLY see that Ji Woo indeed cares for Seo Joon. He decides to not run away any longer, maybe after Seo Joon told him he gave up, and now Ji Woo is running after Seo Joon. Great. Seo Joon pushes him away, once, twice, but then Ji Woo tells him, he will not be able to chase him any longer if he keeps that up, and Seo Joon gives in.

People say this is realistic, relatable, emotional, romantic, complex, mature. Is it really? The core ideas of the series aren't bad. But they just went too far. Ji Woo became a gloomy and unattractive guy who behaved like a baby - he was even crying like on! - that had no real character growth throughout the whole series. At the end he AGAIN had lots of demands, and Seo Joon was the one who now must adjust to him even more, so he won't run away. What's the message here?

The author apparently wanted to show us "that in a relationship, one always loves more and works harder". Is this a good message? One that leaves you with a warm feeling in your heart? Not in my case. It's very questionable and honestly depressing.

To sum my thoughts up: They destroyed the Ji Woo character by taking away his good qualities and emphasizing his weaknesses. They even destroyed the Seo Joon character to a certain point. He obviously loves Ji Woo, but I wonder why at this point. Why does he want to be with him? I never asked myself this question when watching s1. I thought he was attracted to his big heart. He felt safe being with Ji Woo. The writers took that away completely.

I think the director has a talent to make everything artistic, cryptic, complicated, emotional and beautiful. It's an EXPERIENCE watching her work. So she fools the viewers in thinking it's "deep". Indeed it was pretty shallow at the end of the day. Minor issues were blown out of proportions, and where we expected some big revelations for example regarding Ji Woo's parents or Seo Joon's trauma, everything felt trivial.

I still rate this series rather high, because I was glued to the screen the whole time. They did something right if people talk about it so much, discuss it so much, and in general are so deeply affected by this story. That sure is an accomplishment by itself.

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IM ONLY 12% AWAKE

I'm scared to write this review. For sure, I'll receive a lot of backlash again for saying bad things about it, but I CANT just keep silent.

First, let's discuss the good things. The outline of the basic plot is good on paper; it's the love story of a couple who have been each other's first loves. In all fairness, the first few episodes were a little slow but engaging. It also feels like they have enough of a budget, as the series looked decent enough. I also appreciate the subtle changes in technology that show the difference in timeline. And yes, the main lead's hairstyle changed after the time jump! Also, let's give props to the actors because they did a good job. Of course, Earth did all the heavy lifting, but we must also acknowledge that Santa did a good job for someone so young and not as veteran as Earth.

Now, for the not-so-good parts. First, and this is totally my own opinion, I hate seeing gay characters who are portrayed as softer and more delicate than marshmallow. It felt like a backward progression for our quest for acceptance when on the  other side of the world, a lot of female characters are being portrayed as EQUAL to their male counterparts. In this day and age, portraying gay men as crybabies and scaredy cats is simply unacceptable.

And then there is the endless crying, especially in the last two episodes. Why, for crying out loud, do they make Earth cry this much? I didn't even know why it was necessary to kill Seeiw's mother just so we could have a last episode that was almost entirely Earth crying. It is not entertaining. It is so boring and unnecessary that whenever he cries, fast forwarding becomes a necessity. In fact, no matter how hard I tried, I was only 12% awake in the last 2 episodes. There are other ways to show how good an actor can be aside from shedding tears. It was a series finale, and the episode could have been used to further the storylines of our characters.

Other readers will kill me for saying this, but as strong as the start is, this felt like a cheap imitation of Love of Siam and I Told Sunset About You; unfortunately, this show can't hold a candle against those classics.

I'm sorry, as much as I adore Earth and Santa, I just cannot rewatch this show. I'm giving it a 7.5 for the effort.

EDIT: To be fair, I thought I couldnt rewatch it but i have and have increased my rating a bit. Thanks for people pointing out that I was also a bit homophobic with my review, I promise Ill be better in the future!

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