BRIDGERTON BUT MAKE IT CHINESE!!!
Finally there’s something new and fresh coming from C-drama!!I trully recommend this drama especially to those who watch bridgerton! At first I thought the story would be all about 3rd daughter & the restaurant owner, but i didnt expect this series to have developing stories episode by episode. Totally invested in their dramaa
at first i was hesitant to watch bcs i thought it would be boring to watch drama with historical background ( chinese dynasty etc) but it turns out to be great! it is delivered in such a modern way that for me, is easy to understand. it maybe confusing to understand the chinese background & old ancient culture but after watching this, i am totally interested!!
recommended!!
[add]: deeply in lovee with the 4th daughter storyline!! wish they have more drama together in the future!! props to the male lead too, very good acting!!
also props to the casting director! i think they really did a great job!!
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A step backwards for OffGun..
I love OffGun and watch everything they are in, whether it’s together or their solo projects, but I really have a soft spot for them, as they are one of the 1st BL couples that I fell in love with, in both dramas and reality shows.Cooking Crush is not a bad BL, it is a rom-com BL, heavy on goofiness and comedy, but very light on storyline and character development.
My beef is mostly with GMMTV, for using veteran BL couples who have proven their worth- starting their careers with several lesser roles on several so-so series, and have now worked their way up to a certain level of stardom and credibility.
I feel like their apex was definitely hit with last year’s Not Me. Not only was it worthy of OffGun, it had substance, serious subject matter, and was thoughtfully executed by these the entire amazing cast.
I thought “great! now that everyone has seen them at their best, they won’t have to do high school or college roles anymore.” SMH 🤦♀️
GMMTV has such a huge catalog of teen- early 20’s actors that could have easily slipped into these Cooking Crush roles.
IMHO, it’s a waste of OffGun’s talent to put them in these types of series that they have already done many times and now can do in their sleep.
Just one fan’s opinion..🤷🏻♀️
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Ever read a fanfiction written by a twelve-year-old whose biggest concept of conflict is that she doesn’t have a boyfriend even though she’s only twelve? Now, imagine if this twelve-year-old had rich parents who paid for the most top-notch cinematography in order to make this fanfiction into a television production. And there you have it; this is what Long For You felt like from beginning to end.
I’ll give the production crew props for such pretty promotional posters and consistently beautiful shots throughout the drama. I genuinely appreciate their efforts in presentation which frequently resulted in brilliant results. But "don't judge a book by its cover" gets a whole new kind of importance in this show's context.
The story was absolute crap. That MDL has this listed as related to You Who Came from the Stars is an absolute insult to the Korean drama industry. I didn’t even like that drama as much as most people did, but I can still say with utmost confidence that You Who Came from the Stars would mop the floor with Long For You any day of the week. Aside from similar plot elements, you can’t even begin to compare the two. Forget being on the same level. They aren’t even in the same building. Or continent.
I have honestly never been so frustrated by a drama plot due to its lack of proper flow. What exacerbated this was the fact that the synopsis was the reason I started watching it: what’s not to like about a story that combines supernatural elements with romance? Yet, Long For You somehow took an interesting concept and turned it into something that was worse than nothing. The stunning cinematography was wasted on a plot that, again, felt like it was straight out of the mind of an immature pre-teen.
Conflict in this drama never feels like conflict. It always feels like a very slight inconvenience. Take for example, the main female character. You can tell from the story’s summary that she’s lonely as all hell. But the most we get of this characterization in the actual show is at most one minute of her being like, “Oh, woe is me. I am so. So. Lonely.” Are you now? Because I’m sorry, but just saying that you’re lonely doesn’t mean sh*t, especially when it only comes up once or twice. The problems in this show were written trivially, almost like the writers couldn’t wait to get back to the romance, but felt the necessity to include something else.
It was quite the shame, as well, that the romance sucked. There was zero chemistry between the main couple and zero logic behind their getting together other than the dramaland rule that states "main female lead and main male lead must end up together." For me, every time I saw them on screen, it was easier to picture them as brother and sister than a couple. Gross. The secondary couple was comparatively much more fun to watch, in addition to the situational pairing of the two male leads. These two pairings made this show slightly bearable.
We now arrive at one of two reasons why I didn’t drop this show like a hot potato: Song Wei Long. Not his acting, though. Kid’s got a long way to go. But there’s just something about those not-yet-legal-age eyebrows that entrance you. I swear I’m not being creepy. Going off of this, though, none of the acting really captured me as being amazing. Though, I imagine it must’ve been hard for the actors to play characters that are about as dimensional as a piece of paper that has been transported into the first dimension.
I’ll conclude this review with the second reason why I kept watching. I just wanted to see how bad it could get. It’s been a while since I’ve completed watching such an utter trainwreck. I’m sure you’ve gathered, but it only got worse with time.
(Also, if you would like to spare the production crew with the excuse that 20 minutes an episode at 20 episodes total is too short to do anything amazing, I will ask you to contact the closest weeaboo available. They can provide you a very long list of anime that construct stories infinitely better than this show's. And in only half the episode count.)
tl;dr: I'm more disappointed in myself for finishing this than I am in the producers of this show.
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Great start, a bit lousy middle but with meh outcome
Her story is exactly like as every lead of revenge drama has: Death of family member-killer is unknown-desire of revenge-getting ready for mission-undercover (ah this thing is a must)-a lot of killings and action-big disclosure of killer (the ultimate twist)- then revenge is done! so yeah it is the same path as it's always been but just a little change we have a girl... who can fight well.. very well, very very well, and honestly, it's entertaining.It's quite predictable, none of the 'twists' really shocked me or made me "What? Whoa!... or what just happened now?" (maybe there's only one scene as an exception), from the beginning I almost knew who was the real villain.. so the thing is the big revelation isn't surprising at all... maybe you'll end up saying, ah I knew it! so yeah you're definitely getting the satisfaction from your guesses being spot on lol But it's intriguing and story dynamics are interesting as well. I mean who doesn't love to see badass FL, who loves to win every time and is an expert in beating people. So even though it's not the best plot out there but something that'll entertain you.
Characters are one-dimensional and kinda stereotyped, their actions are only as of the story want and what the story needs. Maybe it's the time factor that affects here, we don't get to explore characters well... even the leads, we only see one side of them.
Ji Woo is shown as one man oops my bad one-woman army (literally)... I mean she just kinda fights with a looot of people and never actually loses lol which is quite unrealistic... I mean almost everyone is armed and trained fighters but I don't think there's a need for realism for this kind of drama. She has the ultimate goal for her life so yeah she does nothing else other than that basically no life. She's rash and impulsive which end up making a lot of trouble for her.. but we don't get the cliche personal development thing out of this one lol.. she's reckless till the end. We've our lead character flawed not the ideal or moral one, well this one adds points for me. Han So Hee did a really good job, especially with the fighting scene.
Moo Jin's presence kinda overshadows everyone or mostly it's coz of Park Hee Soon brilliant performance. I truly enjoyed his acting and seeing him on the screen lol.. even though he is well you know. His character was interesting and had more shades than anyone.
Pil Do ah the character to get the story where it should... I wasn't connected to his story, even his backstory was more like, let's make characters having tragic backstories. So just we can emphasize with them, wasn't a great tactic :')
It was going well till it wasn't... coz then they have to add some unnecessary bits, I was literally like... "WHY? this wasn't needed" things are just thrown to you without any context, and we just have to accept it even though they make no sense at all!
Cinamatographically it's good... having that typical Netflix touch. The color palette goes well with the tone of the drama. I loved the soundtrack again this one Netflix thing lol, there aren't many songs only a few but more than enough and perfectly fitting. Bgm was also good, in the start is a bit off, but it gets better with time.
Action: Fighting scenes is the thing I truly enjoyed... they were entertaining and satisfactory lol, not too much but enough.
This isn't out-of-the-box or extraordinary but definitely an interesting watch. I was hooked from the very first episode and never stopped pressing the next episode till the end so yeah quite addictive too, best to binge
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Characters are so different!!!
The main leads are crazyyy. A mobster/ex-con that runs a meat business with previous ex-cons and make a change for the better. Is paired with a pretty, bubbly girl that likes to play and entertain kids and sees it as a dream come true and not just for rent and taxes. #DreamJobBut I don’t think in all the Kdramas I’ve watched, it’s crazy to see a gangster that’s very sweet and nice and welcoming. not violent at all. Even his employees, they’re all so sweet. The actors are so well picked. love it all soooo much!!! 🥰😍🥰😍🥰
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Story | The whole doppelgänger scenario where something happens to one so the other fills their place. There's also love, loss, family drama etc. The whole works. Story may be a little confusing at first. It goes back and forth through time to explain situations later on. Also give you a headache from trying to guess what is actual and what is not.
Cast | From the main roles to the supporting roles, I loved everyone who was casted. I haven't watched Ji Hoon in a drama since Goong and it was weird seeing him with this serious role at first. But his acting was superb! His character change was natural and nicely paced. Him and Soo Ae were great together. I liked their chemistry but at times I felt like there was more emotion from Ji Hoon's character and it didn't match Soo Ae's as well as I'd hoped. Even so, I loved them as the leads.
Jung Hoon and In Young were simply fantastic! Their acting/chemistry together was spot on. And you know an actor has done their job when you can't fully hate or love their character.
Supporting cast was great too! Family, friends, loan sharks etc I loved. This drama has me waiting for the day when Hoya gets a lead in a drama. And just have to say, Min Woo's assistant was by far the best supporting character in that entire drama.
Music | Besides the instrumentals for scenes, I don't remember much so my score is low.
Rewatch | It's hard to say. There was much suspense in this drama that it'll be hard to watch again since all the twist and turns won't be as surprising. One day I know i'll come back to it because I seriously adored Ji Hoon's acting but as for now, probably not. That's the only reason my score is so low.
Overall | Honestly, maybe the best drama for 2015. I loved it. Truly. I had so many emotions while watching, god..it was terrible! So many twists and turns to keep you into the story. At some point you may think "ok, really. more?" but I was honestly ok with all the back and forth-ness of it all. It made 20 episode go by fairly quickly and though some may say it dragged, there wasn't a boring episode in this entire drama. Give it a try, at least the first 3-5 episodes.
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This review may contain spoilers
Abusive Jerk Guy His Boss (watch suggestions)
Overall: I was hoping this would be the bodice ripper BL version of What's Wrong With Secretary Kim, but the abuse, idiotic decisions, repetitive plot and love rivals ruined the series for me. 12 episodes about 45 minutes each. Aired on GagaOOLala https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/4736/bad-guy-my-boss-2024-e01 Later aired on YouTube https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJx-XkJhYuVf6ejPVOOW2e3hwO8XfFMPO&si=QS9_ZMVBzioZJHRH and Viki https://www.viki.com/tv/41071c-bad-guy-my-bossContent Warnings: murder, attempted murder, blood, violence, intimate partner abuse, non con kissing, manipulation, manhandling, stalking, drugging, kidnapping
Watch Suggestions (takes out love triangle/business stuff/violence and instead focus on cute/steamy scenes)
- watch episode 1
- episode 2 watch 27:40-29:40
- episode 3 watch ep 2 recap up to 3 min, 15:20-17:30 (which is a flashback) and 31 to the end
- episode 4 watch 4:30-8
- episode 5 watch 28-38:30
- episode 6 watch 12-13, 16-16:50 and 20-22
- episode 7 watch 36:30-38
- episode 8 watch 5:25-5:55 and 9:30-10:30
- episode 9 watch 6:30-7:15, 31-34:30, 39-41:06
- episode 10 watch 14:30-15:15, 19:30-23:15, 25:30-28:30 and 38:30-42:30
- skip episode 11
- episode 12 watch 2-5:40, 7:30-9:15, 24-26:10 and 37 to the end
What I Liked
- what I thought was the premise based on ep 1
- established 1 protagonist as queer and sexually active
- caring/sweet moments
- visuals
- the ex girlfriend accepted the rejection once it was made clear
- Kim made something clear to Pat towards the end, with a breadcrumb that he might find a different romantic relationship
Room For Improvement
- two of the characters were abusive yet we were supposed to root for their romantic relationships with non-abusive partners, examples of abuse included: physically violent (manhandling, choking, shove), manipulative, ignored boundaries, controlling, enacted retribution for perceived slights, one character shot a guy in the head and the next day the viewer is supposed to root for his romantic relationship...
- too many love rivals/love triangles
- there were many flashbacks/flash forwards and I was not sure a couple times where we were in the timeline including the intro (or was that a dream and not a flash forward...), this was worse in the beginning and not an issue later on
- the daydreams and what actually happened needed more differentiation
- a character had a terrible "plan", he acted like a total jerk (which granted is in the title) but had zero character growth
- bad production value things like music not fitting the mood, odd angles, odd 360 rotating shot in episode 2 when a character was talking to his friend
- cartoony villain who was sitting on a black couch in an empty warehouse sipping wine
- nonsense stuff: zero logical reason for why a character didn't communicate his feelings at the end of episode 9, why kidnap/kill the boyfriend when he could have kidnapped/killed the actual guy
- a CEO ordered around doctors and police officers, police not included when they should have been
- too much business drama in the final episode
- in episode 12 the kiss went on for way too long and Elyes was an idiot for not realizing why Pat was upset
- waited until the very last second for Elyes to say "I love you" to Pat
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if you like romanticised se**al assault this one is for you
I am not into series where the ML forces himself on FL with romantic music on. I think it’s pretty sick for 2024 drama. I was not expecting this and it happens not once but several times through episodes.Old school tropes. ML changes personality and doesn’t seem very clever and has not much respect for the FL. Plot is very basic and nothing new under the sun, even for a 10 minute episode drama.
I am dropping this because it is just not worth spending my time on it.
Hoping I can forget I’ve ever watched this series.
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A love story that just makes sense
I've watched quite a few romance dramas and have actually accepted the fact no matter how much they play it differently, it boils down to the same "framework" - getting together --> separating --> getting back together. I guess it's kind of the core messaging behind most romance dramas - a relationship is only real if both partners could survive through obstacles and end up stronger together.Back to the drama, I don't see this as just a romance drama but it's also a drama that talks about how these two individuals change their perspectives in lives and work through their past baggages. There are many real issues which are addressed in this series:
1. Between ethics and work profession, which one do you pick?
2. The competition in a corporate environment and how different people survive in that environment.
3. The fact that even in today's modern world, women are still treated differently in a professional environment. Gender preference when it comes to hiring, is still very real.
In the comments, a lot of people really hated on Wu Fei and the lady boss of the firm. Well, it just shows how well these actresses have portrayed their characters. Without Wu Fei, I think the whole process of Qin Shi climbing up to Level 11 seems a little too easy. Without the lady boss, the message about working women won't have such a huge impact.
Acting wise, I was pensive because of the age gap between Yang Mi and Xu Kai, but I was quite a fan of Yang Mi's work for a while and quite like Xu Kai's acting as well so I decided to give it a go. Surprisingly, their chemistry is off the charts. The whole relationship played out very well throughout the drama.
From the romance point of view, there are a lot of comments about how they ended the whole drama so hastily. Qin Shi and Yang Hua had to break up and only to reconcile at the very last minute. I on the other hand, quite like the pacing. They had spent so much screen time as lovers in the middle of the series, and there are quite a few scenes loaded with cuteness and romance between the two, how much more romance do you want the scriptwriters to inject in the end of the drama?
The break up is essential for Qin Shi to finally realize her own feelings and decide on her own standpoint when it comes to love. If you have been following how Qin Shi and Yang Hua communicated with each other since the beginning of their relationship, surely you sense the amount of unwavering trust they have for each other. Deep down, Yang Hua knows that Qin Shi loves him and believes that she would realize that given time and space. So what if they have separated for 7 months? I think even if it's a whole entire year, Qin Shi would still go back to him. Plus knowing his character, he had probably been keeping tabs on Qin Shi the entire time.
The ending is quite a good closure in my opinion. Not just a happy ending to Yang Hua and Qin Shi's relationship but also to Qin Shi's career as a woman in the law industry.
I would still highly recommend for people who have not watched the drama to give this a try. Probably not the top 1 romance drama I would pick but still a good one.
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A good pyschological thriller but definitely not for everyone.....
"The Doubt is a compelling psychological thriller that offers a unique take on the genre. The story revolves around a criminal profiler who finds himself entangled in a case that unexpectedly connects to his daughter. As he uncovers clues, he grapples with the unsettling possibility of his daughter's involvement, creating a tension-filled narrative that explores trust and doubt.What sets The Doubt apart is its deliberate pacing. Unlike many thrillers that rely on constant action and adrenaline, this drama rather opts for a more measured approach. The suspense builds gradually, allowing for a deep exploration of the characters and their motivations. The daughter, portrayed as a mysterious figure, adds layers of complexity, keeping viewers guessing about her true intentions.
The storytelling in this drama is slow, and I think it's intentional to build up the suspense and mystery surrounding the plot and the characters. Despite the slow pace, a lot can happen in a moment. It has this laid-back vibe that keeps you calm but intrigued by how the events unfold.
The characters are interestingly written. The dad can seemingly read a lot of criminals' minds but struggles to understand his own daughter's, reflecting their strained relationship. The daughter looks suspicious from the first glance; she’s secretive, smart, and a planner but also a loner. Her blank look at times shows a lack of feelings, adding to the intrigue. The side characters introduced for the murder case are also well-developed, with their stories connecting to the main plot, which I find interesting.
The acting is undoubtedly impressive. The overall production, the gloomy cinematography, the soundtracks, and everything else contribute to a great viewing experience.
However, When I say this drama isn't for everyone, I mean that some might find it slow or boring, and others may not appreciate the laid-back vibe. But if you’re looking for a good psychological thriller that’s thought-provoking and keeps you guessing with strong acting and interesting characters, then you should definitely check it out.
Note:
The Doubt may not appeal to everyone. Its slow-burn style may frustrate those seeking a fast-paced thrill ride. But for those who appreciate a psychological exploration of relationships and the intricacies of trust, this drama is definitely worth watching.
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zero communication in class 2
Overall: up until the finale I was going to say this was a decent coming of age story with four protagonists who all have poor communication at times; however, I am so angry at that crappy finale I took a whole point off my review. I read most of the webtoon https://www.lezhinus.com/en/comic/heesu_en awhile ago. I tried my best to review the live action series on its own merits; however, I can see why fans of the webtoon (including myself) are very disappointed per the last section of my review. 10 episodes about 40 minutes each. Aired on Viki https://www.viki.com/tv/40995c-heesu-in-class-2What I Liked
- sibling relationships (though I started to get the three of them/their relationship struggles confused and they took up too much screentime)
- supportive mom
- acting
- the dash of GL
- subverted accidental fall (though we got a regular one in episode 2)
- production value (music, some nice cinematography)
Room For Improvement
- I dislike being misled, the series title is "Heesu in Class 2" so I thought he'd be the protagonist with his romance taking front and center but it wasn't like that at all. In episode 9 taking out the 3 minute recap at the beginning him and Seung Won didn't have a scene until 13 minutes in and had 6 minutes of 43 minutes or only 15% of the screentime. In episode 10 there's 1min15 seconds of unhappy convo, a one sided confession for 3 minutes and then 7 minutes at the end or only 23%.
- Chan Yeong is an unlikable protagonist. He yells publicly at Heesu to tell him what's wrong and then when Heesu tells him, Chan Yeong purposefully tries to hit Heesu with tennis balls and makes Heesu apologize for confessing or not preparing enough when Heesu actually prepared a ton (also did it privately, gave him an easy/fast way to leave the room etc).
- in the finale wth was with Seung Won being totally silent and then avoiding Heesu, I'd be way more pissed than Heesu was
- the pacing was terrible, had way too many sideplots thrown in
- started with a flash forward and then a voice over exposition dump
- the jokes/comments disparaging a character's looks (and also that the sister said it was the most important thing in terms of attractiveness)
- the lack of good communication and lack of spines made the series extremely frustrating to watch at times
- series had very little heart fluttering moments, there was finally some progression middle of episode 8 for one couple only for a love triangle cliche to get thrown in, I was annoyed at the star gazing with how far apart they were but at least there was hand-holding at the very end
Differences from the webtoon aka why webtoon fans (such as myself) are angry/sad (note: I need to re-read the webtoon and will update this if things are different from what I remember), I'd give this as an adaptation somewhere between 1-3, any points are for the actors and not the plot/characterization
1. per the title, Heesu is the protagonist in the webtoon vs in the series there are four protagonists
2. Heesu's romantic life is the center of the webtoon vs in the series we have several side plots (family drama, music drama, love rival) that take up a lot of the runtime
3. the webtoon was filled with sweet moments related to Heesu vs in the series there are barely any heart fluttering moments and the relationship development is very slow
4. I don't remember being frustrated by the lack of communication in the webtoon vs I want to shake all four protagonists, their lack of direct communication while perhaps realistic is infuriating to watch
5. the webtoon has a m/m main couple and a m/m side couple vs in the series there is both a main m/m couple and a m/f couple, the m/f couple's relationship develops faster than the m/m's relationship, there are accusations of straightwashing and it does feel like an odd change to the source material
6. Chan Yeong was not an asshole in the webtoon vs he is one in the series
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This review may contain spoilers
Sorry if this goes against the general opinion but this drama is just a giant ball of frustration and disappointment for me.1. The beginning of the episode was interesting but then it just gets boring.
2. The main characters in the show are just really unlikable and there are no character development at all.
3. Its just stupid to think that the main character is smart and daring enough to run his security/pimp operation but then all of his other actions shows him just being a wimpy, indecisive and scared kid.
4. No backstory to explain what happened or why the characters are in these situation. Pretty convenient that Jisoo just happened to be saved by an ex-military man and proceeds to form a loyal partnership?
5. Positive is when we are not being frustrated, we are treated to some good and thrilling scenes that keeps you wanting more.
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One of the most frustrating thrillers I've ever seen
Midnight is basically a really draggy cat and mouse chase film with all the mice sharing one brain cell.At first I thought this film would be similar to Blind, an iconic thriller which was also about a disabled female lead being chased by a psychopath after witnessing a murder. But I realized after watching that comparing the two was an insult to Blind.
Every single character was dumb and had almost 0 common sense (especially the cops). I had hopes for the female lead's mom as she was good at reading people but in the end, she disappointed me as well.
Overall, Midnight felt like it was written by a thriller rookie who did not do their research on crime and just decided to recycle bits and pieces of movies of similar concept.
**SPOILERS**
what kind of person thinks that telling a psychopath your dreams and goals in life would actually make him feel bad and not kill you lol also PTSD doesn't exist here apparently.
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1This review may contain spoilers
A cliche love story about your pick me ex-idol next door & the ordinary boy she falls for.
***DISCLAIMER: This is just my opinion, we don’t have to agree and I’m not here to argue with anyone. This review is kind of long so please bare with me.***A/N: I went into this drama blind without reading the webtoon or having any preconceived ideas.
Tropes: grumpy/sunshine, friends to lovers, on and off / toxic relationship
General Overview:
I kind of liked this drama because it is really nostalgic and takes you back. The cinematography is beautiful and it seems like it was meant to be a documentary or memoir of sorts recounting Doona and Won Jun’s experiences and how they crossed paths and essentially changed the trajectory of each others lives forever.
An ordinary guy and a superstar girl – that’s a cliche if I’ve ever seen one. I found it kind of tricky getting into this drama because the first 2 episodes are slow and you’re not really sure what exactly is going on because theres not much context but as you keep on watching and bridge the gap between episodes 2 & 3 and really delve into episode 4 & 5 things start heating up and becoming more interesting. I like the relationship between Doona and Won Jun because it shows us what a new adult / young love is and how at times it can be messy especially when there’s a lot of miscommunication thrown into the mix.
Their love story is by no means perfect but it’s also realistic in the way that other people watching can definitely relate to it and look back on their own past relationships / first loves and be reminiscent of a similar time / experience in their lives. Even if you have never experienced something like there are a lot of important life lessons to be learned.
I honestly feel like this drama lacked depth and they could’ve done so much more to better capture the struggle between wanting to live a normal life with your love and choosing to chase/ follow your dreams and be an idol. The ending sucked big time but again, I had already predicted it would be a sad/open ending by episode 5.
_____________________________________________
A More Detailed Review (spoilers ahead):
Doona opens with Doona submerging herself in a pool of water and seemingly sinking to the bottom of it and drowning… I believe this is a reflection of how she truly feels on the inside.
The drama follows Dream Sweet Doona, a kpop idol who has fallen from grace and has taken a hiatus from being an idol due to an on-stage accident in which she stated she could no longer sing. We see her smoking profusely in a lot of the shots... we're not sure what's going through her head. Doona appears forlorn and despondent, as if she is fighting to find her place in the world while being neglected by the individuals she most badly wants to hear from. The number one person is P (her agent), who does not respond to any of her texts or phone calls.
As the story progresses we see Doona meet Won Jun and a love/hate dynamic develops between them. She can’t believe Won Jun doesn’t know who she is and that he’s not a fan as she sees him sporting a sweet dream hoodie. Anyways a uncanny dynamic develops between them and Doona finds herself annoying him and asking him out to eat for the fun of it. Won Jun thinks she’s only teasing him and is not actually serious. They get into a spat one night as Won Jun says something that hurts her feelings and sends her over the edge.
From there they make up and you see them hanging out and Doona giving Won Jun advice on love as Won Jun still seems to have feelings for this girl (Jin Ju) from his past. It seems they were almost high school sweethearts and did like each other but in the end things did not work out. Now a year later, Jin Ju has re-entered his life and Won Jun wants to obviously be more just friends but they keep missing the timing. I think this is essential to the plot because Jin Ju is a symbol of the past… and past memories while Doona is a symbol of Won Jun’s present and future. Back then, Won Jun was weak timid and was not able to confess to the girl he liked and win her over. This past Won Jun seemingly no longer exists as he is intrigued by Doona. He enters unfamiliar territory when he is with her and so she seems enthralling and fun to hang around. Even though Jin Ju and Won Jun have all the history and memories, it shows you can only hold onto a person for so much and no more. This was demonstrated when Jin Ju finally starts showing interest in Won Jun and was able to confess her feelings, he had already mentally moved on and was now interested in pursuing Doona.
Insights:
Doona lacks emotional intelligence because she has never led a typical/normal life. She also has trouble controlling her emotions, which I believe is related to her lack of emotional awareness. As someone once said, you have to be good with yourself before you can be good for other people. I think Doona needs to take care of herself and prioritize her mental health. It was very saddening watching her go through these psychotic breaks and moments of weakness completely alone. If “being in a room of crowded people and still feeling alone” was a person, that would be Doona.
Given that Donna appeared to have been groomed from the age of 13 or 14 until her early 20s, my heart ached for her. Doona became codependent on her agent as he effectively made her into an idol. It's obvious that the agent did not view her as a real person, but rather as a product or item. He was a manipulative man who only valued her when she was complying with his wishes. Her agent was simply emotionally absent and only doing his job but Doona misinterpreted it for love and concern. In essence, he exploited her as a tool as Doona only piqued his interest when she brought in big bucks and advanced his career. The moment the flip switched in her head and she told him she could no longer handle the idol life he became very cold and distant. It just showed that his affection for her was conditional on her performing and acting a certain way.
It's clear that Doona is a complex individual who has led a very one-dimensional existence. She had a one-track mind because her life was always regimented and linear. Her walls and fences gradually started to come down when her celebrity faded and she had some alone time without others chasing her, revealing the shell of a girl who genuinely needed to repair her inner child. Her mom dropped her off and was too busy coning others out of their money, so only her grandmother took care of her. She did not regard Doona as her daughter or child, but rather as a paycheck. She seemed more liberated and at ease when she spent time with Won Jun. I feel like hanging out with Won Jun made Doona feel free and ordinary. In a way he came into her life as a blessing.
Likes:
I enjoyed the cinematography and the setting. It was a very cozy and fitting drama to watch in the fall!
I liked Se Jong’s performance as Won Jun. It was refreshing to see a very emotionally intelligent man grace the screen. He literally was such a green flag and gave off the impression of a man who was ready to open his heart to someone who didn't appear to deserve him. Se Jong portrayed his innocence and naivety to perfection. It was endearing, but it also demonstrates how males are capable of feeling emotions and having strong feelings for the person they love. I can understand why he was only able to see the best in Doona because love is blind and gives people rose-colored lenses.
The chemistry between Won Jun and Doona was off the charts, if that's what you were mainly watching for. Warning if you are currently single this drama will definitely make you feel even more so. I felt like a third wheel or like I was intruding when watching some of their scenes because it was a bit intense and caught me off guard.
I thought Ha Young’s portrayal of Jin Ju was endearing. Her character brought so much light even in darkness and was one of the best to come out of this drama. Ha Young is seriously so charming on screen and has one of the best smiles I’ve ever seen. Her story was so tragic and she smiled and pretended to be happy on the outside to conceal the fact that she was actually breaking inside. She has strict parents which I’m sure people on here can relate to however the emotional and physical abuse she faced daily was so uncalled for. I liked how Jin Ju handled it with grace and eventually left her home situation. I was lowkey rooting for her and Won Jun in the beginning because she seemed like the of ray of sunshine he needed in his life. To me their personalities seemed more compatible than Won Jun and Doona but they took too long to confess how they felt. Even though her and Won Jun did not work out I am glad they are still friends… and you never know they might have missed their timing now but they could always reconnect years from now.
I also enjoyed the performances of the supporting cast. I-Ra and Jung Hoon were cute and I am happy they got together in the end. The friendship dynamic between everyone was refreshing and I’m glad they still met up to hang out and drink together rather than the friendship being lost after everyone moved out of the building.
Dislikes:
I must admit that Suzy's performance was not the best and fell flat for me. I believe she could have put more effort into truly selling the role. She mostly just posed in the scenes and kept on smoking and sighing which got really repetitive. She seemed to be in unfamiliar territory and did not have a similar experience to channel when playing Doona (a pop star fallen from grace) This led me to believe that she had never really had a had first-hand experience with despair, mental health concerns, and depression / loneliness as an idol. This role was clearly daunting for her and it showed.
In the 3rd act conflict when Doona saw her ex (the agent) and dropped Won Jun’s hand not once but TWICE I was pissed. Like that was an immediate red flag! And then she legit got in the car with the ex and didn’t like that he wasn’t reassuring her and saying all the things she wanted to hear then she opened the door, threw herself out of the car and hurt her foot?! That was absolutely psychotic and batshit crazy. Then she wants to come crawling back to Won Jun and playing the victim?! LOL this was so toxic and messy but at the same time realistic portrayal of young (blind) love. But more seriously, in those moments I questioned if Doona actually had any care or sympathy for Won Jun or his feelings. She was saying one thing but her actions always consistently proved otherwise. I guess this is what people would call a contradictory character but to me it was apparent she needed to work on herself because her behavior was deplorable.
The miscommunication between the leads was absolutely unnecessary and they could have fixed their issues with a simple and honest conversation. When Won Jun asked her if she’s back bc her agent didn’t want her I was like damn! Get her again for me. Being the other person, who appears to be someone's fallback or backup plan in case they can't get the main person they're seeking, is a tragic situation. The exchange between Doona and Won Jun eloquently encapsulated how awful it is.
I was irritated by the agent's attempt to minimize Won Jun's significance. He pretended to be concerned about Doona's welfare, but his true motivation was to use her as a means of generating income for himself. He presents himself as superior to everyone else and shows pretends like he has no concern for those so-called "kids." Mind you he's in their business 25/8 and suggested they break up immediately. In my opinion, the agent acts like a whiny boy who gets upset when he doesn't get his way in a situation.
9 episodes seemed too short but also too long because if you think about it this drama could’ve easily just been a 2 hour movie lmao… there’s so much unnecessary dragging out of the plot.
As I reviewed my episode ratings, I realized that I only ever gave one episode an 8/10, while the others received ratings between 4/10 & 6/10. Tbh, this drama suffers from a severe lack of depth and overcompensates by focusing too much on ridiculous relationship drama. It does far more showing than actually telling. Then again, there is only so much they could fit into 9 episodes. Realistically speaking this drama only needed to be about 5 or 6 episodes long, after that it became tedious and started to drag on.
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Quotes I liked:
“𝙊𝙛 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚 𝙬𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚’𝙨 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙬𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙖 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙.”
“𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙤𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙩𝙬𝙤 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙙𝙞𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙𝙨. 𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙’𝙫𝙚 𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙬𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙘𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙨 𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙨. 𝙎𝙤 𝙩𝙤 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙗𝙮 𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙥𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙗𝙮 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚. 𝙊𝙧 𝙢𝙖𝙮𝙗𝙚 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙘𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙮.”
“𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚𝙜𝙞𝙣 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝. 𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙞𝙩’𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩.”
“𝘽𝙡𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙜𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙖 𝙡𝙤𝙩 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙘.”
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Final Thoughts:
Overall this drama is the definition of a friends to lovers, toxic love story with miscommunication at the forefront. It’s comforting and nostalgic in the way that sometimes you just need a soft drama you can watch without focusing too much on a heavy plot.
Doona is champagne problems coded, a total disaster waiting to happen. I think a lot of people only like this drama for the “steamy” or “hot” kissing scenes, which feels like a very one-dimensional way of viewing it.
Chemistry alone is not enough to sell me on a drama or make me rate it highly. If that were the case, what would even be the point of watching and reviewing anything? Additionally, the ML also had chemistry with the SFL, but that often gets ignored because toxicity tends to be more “entertaining” for viewers.
Should you watch it? It depends on your taste. If you enjoy cliché, predictable, toxic romance dramas, you might like it. It feels similar to Nevertheless. It’s slow at the start and not everyone will stick around long enough for the relationship to develop. If you do watch it, brace yourself.
Would I rewatch it? Absolutely not. Once was enough. Most of the conflicts could’ve been solved with one honest conversation, but instead everything was dragged out unnecessarily to seem deeper than it actually was.
To me, people see stories like this in real life but often romanticize the toxicity and ignore how exhausting it is to constantly want to be chosen with the same intensity you give someone else.
What frustrated me most was that both characters had flaws, but Won Jun still tried to understand Doona and give her a chance. Meanwhile, she was emotionally unavailable, immature, and kept hurting him because what she actually needed was therapy, not a relationship. Even knowing it wouldn’t last, she still used him as a placeholder, which made her behavior difficult to watch.
Still, there are some lessons here. This drama can serve as a warning about getting attached to emotionally unavailable or toxic people. It’s easy to ignore red flags when you’re lonely or emotionally invested, but recognizing those patterns matters if you want to avoid repeating them.
Doona and Won Jun both lack secure attachment styles. She leans dismissive avoidant and he leans anxious. Combined with her abandonment issues and emotional instability, the relationship becomes draining to watch. Realistically, what they both needed was professional help.
On a brighter note, another takeaway is learning that not everything is meant to last. Sometimes people meet at the right time, not for forever, but for a chapter. And that’s okay.
I ultimately scored Doona a 6/10, as the drama sits firmly in the realm of mediocrity despite a few notable moments.
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Once again, this is just my opinion, you can watch it & see for yourself!
Thanks for reading and happy watching!
˚ʚ♡ɞ˚
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This review may contain spoilers
Love, Compassion, Inspiring Characters | Best Costume Drama of All Time
To enjoy watching this drama, one has to watch it without any preconception. Discard your logic. Just watch it as it is. Accept the events as they are playing out. Watch out for the beautiful relationships between the leads and beyond. Close your eyes and listen to the beautiful music. Take in the visual of the 2 main leads.I normally shy away from dramas that are tagged "Bromance", but somehow, I clicked on this one. Since I didn't have a high expectation, my initial impression was like, "Urgh! Another bad Chinese zombies drama" which was in the beginning scene. But to my surprise, it didn't take me very long to get into the hang of the story; I find the story super interesting and the actors super hot. In fact, the good look of the actors makes this drama feel like a manga/manhua; it's surreal, it's beautiful.
I was so hooked to the story that I binge watched all the aired episodes in one sitting. It is really good. Immediately I was acquainted with the main leads, in particular, Wei Wu Xian, who is the untamed one. He is playful, care-free, upstanding and has a heart of gold. Despite all the pain and false accusations he has to endure, Wei Wu Xian remains cheerful, humorous and kind. It is this magnanimous quality that brings tears to our eyes for his misfortune and makes us love him.
Wang YiBo, a very talented dancer, plays the Lan Wang Ji character. Whether on-screen or off-screen, Wang YiBo has that same cold look and therefore making him a perfect fit for the role. His coldness and outrageous good look provide a dream-like visual in the world of cultivation.
The bantering between Wei Wu Xian and the other men/boys is hilarious and cute, which we normally see in romances between a girl and a boy. But in this drama, the bantering doesn't feel distasteful or bad; it gives the impression of true friendship and brotherhood.
Many of the actors, especially the male actors, are so good looking that I find myself attracted to them. All of them are young and talented, and executed their roles very well. The visual of Wei Wu Xian and Lan Zhan is so beautiful - one in white holding the sword and the other in black blowing the flute. I love to watch the flow of their long hair and clothing in the air when they fight. It's simply out of this world.
Though I have not read the novel nor watched the related anime, I find the portrayal of the 2 main characters so amazing - everything about them is opposite to each other. Wei Wu Xian is always warm, talkative and playful, whereas Lan Wang Ji is always cold, solemn and rigid. It is interesting to note that the actual personalities of the actors are reversed off screen. Lan Wang Ji and Wei Wu Xian make a perfect pair.
For me, it's the 'soulmate' relationship that is truly awesome. Wei Wu Xian and Lan Wang Ji know exactly what each other is thinking and feeling by just looking into each other's eyes. They can read each other's mind. It's better than many boy-girl romances where there are tons of misunderstanding, frustrating the viewers. Despite being always expressionless, Wang YiBo brilliantly expresses his emotions without words in Lan Wang Ji. And for Xiao Zhan, he is so brilliant playing the Wei Wu Xian character as if it is written for him.
Their admiration for each other is never explicit, but the look on each face tells a million words. Wei Wu Xian has never imposed on Lan Wang Ji; he lets him make his own choices. For Lan Wang Ji, he is tormented. What is in his heart is totally against what he's been taught in his whole life. He has lived a very strict life with no friends nor any form of entertainment, until Wei Wu Xian appears in his life. Only Wei Wu Xian understands how he feels.
As far as I'm concerned, there is nothing 'gay' about this drama. It's just pure BFF (best-friend-forever) like we have with our own BFF. It is the great companionship one finds in another. The few comedic scenes added to lighten up the whole story are adorable and funny, helping the viewers to take a breather from the zombies and evil spirits.
All the sound tracks are so beautiful either sung or instrumental, each telling a story of a character or a scene. I love visualization the scene when Wu Xian picks up his flute and blows, and Lan Wang Ji playing the guqin. I can just close my eyes and listen to the beautiful tune. The visual is simply so beautiful that no words can describe.
The ending tears my eyes. The sacrifices Wei Wu Xian makes to save others, and in return Lan Wang Ji does the same for him. It's moving and touching. Sweetness comes and I ask for the story to continue.
Many viewers who have read the novel may be disappointed watching this drama that has not portrayed the gayness as it is written in the novel. On the other hand, many viewers shy away from this drama because they do not want to watch "gay" scenes. For me, this drama is beautifully and tastefully done, especially the visual aspect. If you refrain from watching for any of these reasons, you may be missing a lot of the fun. This is a drama that is well worth it.
I strongly recommend this drama to anyone who is still hesitating.
Two thumbs up!
An Update:
After watching this drama during its airing, I re-watched it multiple times, each time picking up certain details I've missed during the first watching. I realized there are many subtleties in this drama that can be missed or not understood in the first viewing. Then I also started watching the anime, and reading the novel. The drama does pretty well in sticking closed to the original story but then, there are also differences and hence provides totally different experiences to the viewers.
Like I said before, I'm normally not a "bromance" fan. But after watching this drama, something touches me. I don't know what, but I love this drama so much that I can't put it down. Even though initially when watching this drama, I felt the relationship was more of a soulmate friendship, but after reading some parts of the novel and watching the anime, I realize it is more than just a soulmate relationship. But this drama has cleverly and carefully tweaked the story to avoid that censorship threshold and yet not losing its heart-warming love relationship appeal. That's what makes this drama so loved and unforgettable. The two main male leads are so good together as if they are made for each other. Since this drama, I realize the misconception I have always on such relationship (bromance) due to our social norms and religious intolerance. I also realize only with an open mind, I can see further and feel more of the things around me.
Despite all the holes and flaws here and there, poor acting by some peripheral actors, hard-to-understand certain parts of the story and logic, substandard editing etc, this drama is phenomenal in terms of its visual appeal and music composition. One really has to sit in, watch it and listen to it, to appreciate it.
This drama has the best OSTs I have ever heard, be they vocal or instrumental, they are so beautiful. The character songs describe each character appropriately. From these songs, I even managed to understand some characters better whom I initially disliked, such as Xue Yang. The lyrics and music in the Yi Nan Ping (Jiang Yanli's character song) is the one that makes me very emotional whenever I listen to it because it is Wei Ying's memory of his shijie (Jiang Yanli); it's so heart-wrenching. The Qing Xin Yin (Clear Heart Tune or Cleansing) with the Luan Po Chao (Muddle Soul) interlude is so perfectly done, that by itself, it is already a master piece. I later also found out that this song is an adaptation from the original song called "You don't understand my heart". Lan Zhan plays this tune consistently for Wei Ying for healing when he is in coma or when he's wounded. The lyrics in that song are so fitting for Lan Zhan expressing his love for Wei Ying silently. The WuJI song, purportedly composed by Lan Zhan for Wei Ying, describes perfectly what happens between them - it is their song, their story. Another song that strikes me most, among others, is the Lotus Cove song. Whenever I hear it, I can feel Wei Ying's fond memories of his growing up life living in the Lotus Cove, so carefree and happy, loved and adored by all, especially his shijie. I can't help but cry for him when he loses all that means most to him.
I have never thought I'd enjoy a drama that shows two male leads in a loving relationship as much as I love this one. At this point, I don't think the label we want to use on this drama important anymore. The most important thing is, most viewers like me have enjoyed it tremendously.
This is a MUST WATCH drama!
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