But... Why a 7?
Well, this drama was lacking in one aspect... I think the idea wasn't as well executed as I was waiting it to be. There were some holes in the story and I felt that some twists didn't have enough field to develop, and maybe it was because this was a mini-drama (I consider a mini-drama, anything below 15-16 episodes) Sometimes I also felt that some events were kinda rushed or suddenly introduced into the story, and yes, that's my only complain about this drama. If you are gonna give me a twist or add something to the story please let me see how that has been built previous episodes. Nevertheless, the story manages to keep your attention every episode.
Just to make it clear: I liked the twists and the events, it's just that I wanted to see why that X or Y situation happened.
Said that, this drama is funny, has awesome acting, and the characters were totally lovable, my favorite ones were Jung Woo and the Pink ahjussi ^_^ Great characters. This is very enjoyable, you'll not get bored and you'll have a little bit of everything: romance, action, comedy, thrilling moments, drama and a satisfying ending, and we all know that's very rare to find in dramaland TT_TT so, it's very appreciated. :) Thank you for that ending, writers.
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This review may contain spoilers
Everything about this drama is extremely westernised. Not surprising considering this is a Netflix production, but the Korean drama charm is not there:
- 40 minutes long episodes of a 8 episode season, with a second season coming (very untraditional to kdrama)
- Kiss on the very first few episodes.
- No aesthetics whatsoever.
- Very westernised cinematography.
- Absolutely no humor/light-hearted moments. Everything is dramatic and serious.
- Very dull, cheesy or otherwise dry conversations between characters with little personality.
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This review may contain spoilers
First let me say that this is my first review about some Chinese drama and first review about a historical one. I have recently started to watch Chinese dramas and only watched a very few of them but after this one I'll be definitely watching more. The reason why I haven't watched before is cause of the large numbers of episodes, they're always too long. So you got to have more time for that. Anyway with historical dramas somehow time goes so fast and drama kept that interesting part all the way, not becoming boring at all. At least that was the case with Scarlet heart.And now I'll be starting to write about this magnificent piece. The review will be a little bit long because I really have to say a lot about this drama and how it has captured me forever.
I liked everything. Literally. First of all the story: history, time travell, Qing Dynasty, all those princes and the main girl who had so many different relationship with all of them. Attracted me from the start. Then Liu Shi Sh, she's such a natural beauty, such a delightful creature and amazing actress, I started because of her, the rest of the cast I haven't seen before. But they were all so fantastic and I'll be stalking some of their works for sure from now on. Every one of them portrayed their roles perfectly and without a flaw. I loved the scenery in this drama, oh so many beautiful scenes with snow, snowflakes at night, during the day, seasons changing from refreshing spring with cherry trees and so many beautiful flowers, through the warm autumn with wonderful leaves to the cold winter with white pure snow. The colours were astonishing and I was purely enjoying in that, every scene was so filled with many colours and beauty, it was such pleasure for the eyes. Not to mention the dresses, the coats, hair, make up, all that jewelry, oh I was glued to the screen all the time. ;-) I was even captured by the porcelain and all those wonderful tea cups, I imagined that I drank tea from those cups.
All these things made this drama to be for true one of the best drama ever. But what was the best part of it (still is) and what made this drama so different was the relationship she had with all the princes. It was written exceptionally and I really admire the writer for that. I loved how here we have so much more male leads and roles and less women, I always enjoy and love more when there are more guys in a drama, somehow everything is better, friendship, relationship, more intelligent minds and there aren't annoying and hysterical women who only scream and gossip around. ;-) Anyway in Scarlet heart we got to see so many various and colorful relationship between Ruo Xi and the princes, it simply crawls under your skin and you can't stop but love them all. Every one of them had so important role in a drama and in Ruo Xi life and that was the best part of it. You don't have one perfect man who, let's be honest, doesn't exist in real life, you get to see many men with all their flaws who when you take the best from them become one perfect guy.
What I found to be so fantastically done is that through the whole drama you could see how all of them change, how not everything is sunshine and rainbows, and someone you knew can become someone you can't recognize through time. The drama does an amazing job of showing how greed can poison everything and destroy your loved ones. Yes, the love is in the main focus but it's not only about love, it is a fight between the brothers over the throne, it is a constant battle who will become the Emperor, it involves a politics, some palace intrigues but most of all it keeps you so attached and captivated every moment that you literally lose time about everything and everyone else.
With the love as the center of everything, I would like to say that it was done so incredibly perfect where every characters gets their "5 minutes of glory", of course some of them more, but you really get to see the stories of all of them, how and why they loved who they loved, some loves were sad, some happy, some left with bittersweet taste, some passionate and true to the bone, some one sided and all of them were no matter of their endings, filled with hope and faith.
My heart has won from the beginning 13th prince, from the first second his interaction with Ruo Xi. He was so sweet, free, carefree, a man who will do anything for his brothers without some hidden goal. A guy who was no doubt the best material for her, it was such a pity that they haven't fall in love with each other. But then again, they had the friendship one of a kind - one in which people should envy. A friendship that is unselfish, truthful and doesn’t have ties attached to it. Because their friendship is so strong, they believe in each other no matter what or in whatever circumstances. They never questioned each other and they don’t need to know or hear a reason for anything, simply because they trust each other. He was her soulmate friend.
***** SPOILER ALERT! I will be writing about some parts her relationship with some princes so if you don't want to know nothing then don't read the next lines. *****
As the show progressed I started to like 14th prince, put aside that he was from the start the best looking guy and the tallest one, I meant for his character, I started to like him more and more and in the end I thought why she hasn't loved him? He was kind, strong, loyal, a little fierce, and a tad ambitious. But his defining characteristic for me was his steadfast and unwavering nature. The defining moment for this character for me was when he made a promise to come save the woman he loved if ever she needed him. She had only to send one word and he’d come. And when she called him he came running to her. He’s the type that will stay loyal until the day he dies even if some think he should give up. But he’s also not the type to restrict you and trap you if you want to be free. He was a true man for me and I fell in love with him.
As for the two men she loved, first I would tell something about the 8th prince. He’s so angelic, very gentlemen and always warm to others. It was natural for her to fall for him although she knew she wasn't supposed to. Knowing that he’s gonna have such an ending, she sympathies and pities for him. Rouxi is in a confusion state with her feelings, she doesn’t know if she really likes him or just pity him for his fate. But then she realize that she does have feelings for him. 8th Prince and Rouxi love each other, but not enough to give up everything. It’s a beautiful love story, but they’re not fated to be with one another. It’s a love worth remembering, but it’s a love that can no long be. Somehow I saw him as her protector and she was his, their love was replaced by respect and protectiveness until the end.
As for the 4th prince, that was her love to the core. Their chemistry was undeniably sizzling. Their passionate truly pure love seared through our hearts and souls that we were left heartbroken when they were apart. Their intense love and longing for each other induced us into crying fits when the magnolia flower finally fell off her grip, and when he broke down in tears as he looked at the belongings left behind by his beloved. 4th Prince is always cautious and well-hidden, but to Rouxi, he’s different. He can be honest with her, telling her he wants the throne and such It’s an adorable, yet touching and interesting romance - it’s love. It’s a love, not just worth remembering, but a love that can last a lifetime, even when they’re not together. When 4th Prince finally became Emperor, there were more obstacles standing in their way and more misunderstanding. The more they loved each other, the more they hurt each other. 4th Prince intentions to aim for the throne was so he can protect Rou Xi, but by becoming the Emperor, he needed to maintain his power, which forced him to act in such a way that he ended up hurting the people that Rouxi love and care about. Their peaceful time together was sweet, but short. Their relationship starts to break down, with differences in opinions. They never got around to fix their problems - it escalates even more. Rou Xi becomes more hurt and tired. She still love 4th Prince, but she cannot accept the other princes’ sufferings. They were fated to meet, fated to love, but not destined to be together. And that some cruel fate. But if you ask me, I didn't like this man because he was too much cruel and tyrant, I knew that he loved her but that is not enough. I remember when he said to the 13th prince:" She only cares for others, I only care for her.", you could feel all his powerful and strong love but I just didn't like him as a person and the choices he has made were to much of a cruelty and selfishness.
***** SPOILER END! *****
Character development was awesome. The strongest character and the most pitiful one was Rui Xi. The burden she carried was very big, but she wasn't able to really share her story. And that makes it even more tragic. Ruoxi wanted to love and give, but even though she was cherished in return, she was never able to truly give herself completely. She was a true survivor after all, just trying to make the best of it. She was the most admirable one, smart, strong woman with a good heart who wanted to help others and always protected and helped the princes no matter what. And they helped her, no matter what and how important was the thing they were doing they were always coming to help her and be a support. You could just watch and admire their relationship. Cecilia has done the job brilliant, she's a true great actress. And the others were so great in acting.
Even though this drama was filled with pain, it felt real and it gave you hope at the end. I could completely relate to the most of the characters and why they did certain things, after all it was all about love, passion, friendship. This drama really had such a big impact on me and I would really recommend it to everyone, at least give it a try because I think you won't be regretting. It is a wonderful piece filled with life and making the best of it as much as possible. The story of one dynasty and their princes, their relationship with one girl who came out from other time and changed everything. All of them captured me and made my previous days filled with so many emotions and happiness that I'm really thankful for that. From the bottom of my heart.
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The Epoch of Miyu : One of 2026's best mature urban romances so far
🎬 Quick Take🔹 At the time of this review, 22 of 38 episodes have been released.
🔹 I usually rate dramas based on three things: writing, directing, and acting.
🔹 By Episode 22, this one is delivering in all three areas for me. Current score: 9.5/10.
🔹 Best advice: try the first couple of episodes and see if it clicks for you.
💚 Why You Might Like It
🔹 You want a mature romance where the characters actually feel like adults.
🔹 You like leads worth rooting for, great chemistry, and stories about starting over.
📕 Overview (Spoiler-Free)
🔹 38 episodes / metropolitan romance/workplace drama
🔹 Zhu Zhu plays Xu Miyu, a woman trying to rebuild her life after her marriage falls apart.
🔹 Wallace Chung plays Ji Feng, a hotel executive who reconnects with her at the right time.
🔹 It is a story about healing, career growth, and learning what happiness should actually look like.
🌸 How It Felt Watching
🔹 I started this expecting something decent, but it pulled me in more than I thought it would.
🔹 It deals with adult problems in a way that feels relatable.
🔹 There is romance, but the personal growth side of the story matters just as much.
🔹 Themes: self-worth, second chances, healing, trust, resilience, moving forward
✨ Cast & Acting
🔹 Zhu Zhu (Xu Miyu): She makes the character feel hurt, strong, frustrated, and hopeful all at once.
🔹 Wallace Chung (Ji Feng): Charming and easy to root for.
🔹 Supporting cast: Enough drama, humor, and tension to keep things interesting.
🎵 OST
🔹 Opening theme: Her Epoch (她的纪元) by Xu Ming Ming
🔹 Ending theme: The Forgotten (被遗忘的) by Kang Zi Qi
🎞️ Production Style
🔹 The hotel setting gives it a fresh workplace backdrop.
🔹 Easy to follow and paced well so far.
🔹 Styling fits the age and tone of the characters.
☕ Tea Notes
🌟 What worked
🔹 The chemistry feels natural and never forced.
🔹 Xu Miyu's growth has been the best part of the show for me.
🔹 Romance and workplace storylines are balanced nicely.
🔹 I kept saying "one more episode" and then watching three.
🌟 What did not (so far)
🔹 Some melodrama moments are familiar.
🔹 A few plot turns are easy to predict.
🔹 Certain side conflicts go on longer than needed.
☕ SpillTheDramaTea Rating: 9.5/10
🌿 Tea-Scale: Easy to binge with grown-up charm
✏️ This is definitely worth checking out to see if it's your cup of drama tea.
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Just finished and it was not as I imagined ! Not that bad!
I really loved the relationship that was built between them among all these years!
Loved their pure friendship, and how he is supporting her anytime and anywhere.
I really looooooved her clothes style <3.. and her Shoes!
I loved the friendship they keep with their friends from high school <3 That small thing gave me a warm feeling!
Despite her failure in her relationship with other men, she has a great character. Oh Ha Na is a very strong, smart and cheerful person who can't be hated!
I think Ha Ji Won and Lee Jin Wook both did a great job in their roles. For me, Ha Ji Won was really cute and adorable :)
Although I don't think that I will re-watch this again in the future, but it is kind of interesting and enjoyable.
BTW, I have not seen the original drama and I don't think I will give it a try. ^^"
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With each episode at 30 - 40 minutes a pop, this is easy to binge watch.
Speaking of watching, the subtitling Gods and Godesses thought enough of the Amazon Prime users to give us the whole season complete. Viki is catching up, but again on Prime it is complete.
If you make it to episode 10, then you may as well watch the whole thing because curiosity will kill the cat, and only viewing satisfaction will bring it back.
I do understand that my review does push for viewing, but to really understand what you are getting into...you gotta see for yourself.
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This review may contain spoilers
"Watered down" BL, which is disappointing...
While the manwha was about four boys, this was "heterofied" for unknown reasons. They changed a lot and cut a lot which did not do the manwha justice. Because there are not four boys anymore they also changed the dynamic between the characters drastically.While I get the teenager angst to confess, this was sometimes frustrating to watch.
Please, for god's sake just say it and be over it. But no, it dragged on for 9 episodes.
The rest of the show was not bad, the actors good and the cinematography top notch. But overall they invested too much into the hetero pairing imho. After the confessions, we did not even get a kiss 😭. So this is a bitter pill to swallow and kills the BL imho.
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This review may contain spoilers
Stop saying it's a sad ending.
I've officially finished watching and I can surely say this is the novel adaptation that priest deserved.I was a bit skeptical at the beginning but the characters won me over. Even though the budget is super low (and it shows) they somewhat make up for it with other aspects. A huge thank you for whoever that made this gayer than the novel.
The story is good, but some might find the political sides a bit boring. It does lag sometimes. Somewhat different than the source material but not that drastic of a difference and it definitely helps. The hidden details just make it more interesting.
CG is definitely not the best. Music and bgm are also decent as well. Costumes are so pretty especially the ML's.
I do not have enough words to describe how much I love the main CP. Butterflies everytime they interact. Their relationship is so beautiful. Every episode is just ......chefs kiss*. The side characters are also decent. If you loved CQL you will definitely love this one too.
Even though it has its fair share of heart breaks the ending is happy and satisfying. They become immortals together. There is a short 37th episode & I would suggest everybody to watch that. It's a genuinely happy ending not open or ambiguous. They had to edit it out because we all know how BS Chinese censorship is.
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1Uncanny in all the best ways. Painful in the most beautiful ways.
Not gonna lie - the whole show made me feel extremely uncomfortable more than once. Escapism in the purest and scariest form. Heaven never sounded more like hell. The truth is, happiness only exists in contrast to sadness. You can only cherish what will eventually cease to exist.Sci-fi is a genre that’s extremely hard to ace. You either don’t get enough information to understand it and get immersed in the created world, or the creators overexplain everything, and it seems like a wikipedia page. Yonder managed to keep the balance from start till the end. They gave enough exposition through dialogues to make sense of the sci-fi elements, but they also used a lot of visuals and simple storytelling to explain and expand the rest.
The core of the show though is its philosophical theme centering around happiness, grief and meaning of existence. My brain hurts after watching it. It invites you to dwell on so many complex issues that are hard to grasp just by watching - it made me want to think about them more, even after the episodes ended. What is happiness? How can we achieve it? What gives life meaning? How to deal with grief? Can one get prepared for death? Not to mention the whole ethical side of exploiting people’s pain dressed up as compassion and the selfish and egocentric side of humans.
On the storytelling side - they did an amazing job with pacing. Each scene was meaningful, nothing was dragged, almost nothing felt rushed (on that “almost” under spoiler comment below). The show just flows so well. I would say, it seems better as a binge watch, treating it like a long movie. The breaks between episodes might slightly take one out of the immersion. I honestly regret starting it right when it aired, instead of watching it all when it finished.
Performances - from phenomenal to not memorable. That said, some characters were not exactly written with much depth, and only served a purpose of pushing the plot forward (mostly Hacker Park and the doctor working with them).
Shin Ha Kyun… This man. How is this even possible for him to keep surprising me with his skill? Where’s the limit to his talent? No words to describe his delivery of the character.
The choice of the songs perfectly elevated all the scenes. Did I cry? Yes, many times.
Production value was top notch. Yonder is like a beautiful art piece. Loved everything - the angles, the lighting and use of colors, the proper use of close up and slow motion, the camera rotation that were never overused. The subtle and well designed special effects.
There was one element of the conclusion/reveal by the end that I did not exactly like. It was well written and integrated to the story - it was just my personal preference for the show not to include it. I like when the shows that create an existential crisis in me keep things more open and vague - left to my own personal interpretation. But what I’ve got was a more solid answer to one question, that somehow felt like a contradiction.
Overall, I truly loved it. It’s for sure a show that needs to be analyzed and watched with brain on. Not because it’s so complex plot wise, or hard to understand. Rather, because it tackles many serious issues and questions that are worth asking yourself, and finding out what is your answer.
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transitions of past and present
the reason I watched this movie is because of Park Shin Hye. I am an avid fan, She really did great acting in this movie. really applaud her. The overall movie was great I was so pulled really into the movie. I always like the time travel genre, this movie is so cool that it how the past affects the present time in the movie. But I have never have seen such a thrilling time journey where the lead is hunted in the past. while the lead also trying to find ways to save herself and her family in the present. really cool.Recommendable to watch
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This review may contain spoilers
Open your damn eyes please!!
(Only minor spoiler) All the BL fans here rating it 9 and 10,, I just–don't get how?
The storyline was such a mess. Characters weren't even properly contructed, it was like too many things coming together but making nothing out of it? Unnatural. Yes, that's the word.
I had such high expectations after seeing all the reviews but man, sorry to say but such low standards guys really!
The cringe was real and the ml Jin Won was really living on just one braincell.
The flashbacks and episodes were so confusing, atleast for me and most of time I was just wondering, "why the f*ck do we need that situation?"
Like the whole loan shark case really disturbed the show for me. I didn't feel anything for that angst. And again, Jin Won really made me frustrated like boi Sang Ha told you his whole life story but in the end again you still stayed dependent on that one braincell of yours rather than paying attention.
They could've just developed a sweet fluffy genre of the drama and it would easily cross more than 8 stars but sigh..really poorly written. Just cuz it's a BL, it doesn't have to 'SO AMAZING AND CUTE', I hardly could bare watching those 8 episodes of 10 minutes. So, yea, please consider the plot and background too!
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Awesome
Wow this was so good and so cute and funnyDylan and bai were so well matched and the supporting characters were gorgeous.
The story was light and funny and has really grown and performing exceptionally
There is really nothing wrong to post about for this amazing drama.
The music was on point as well and worked so well for this drama
An absolutely fantastic drama and well set out pace was good and scenic were good
Everything about this drama wws exceptionally
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This drama does spend a whole lot of time telling us things, rather than showing it to us. Both with the romance and the mystery, which goes in too many circles and consequently loses its tension after a while. It does ramp up again in the second half, but by then a whole lot of people will have lost interest in it because the buildup wasn’t there.
It all comes down to how difficult it is for the drama to make up its mind whether it wants to be a romantic comedy set in the Joseon era or more of a mystery about a young policeman who chases after people who break the law and the people who get in his way and complicate the whole matter. And the story never really manages to combine the two into one solid story no matter what it tries.
The structure of neither of those plot points is strong enough for it to work properly because the buildup wasn’t there, and there is a lack of balance between all these different elements of the story as well.
The plot seems too rushed at times; it never really stops long enough to explore things or build them up enough for it to hook you in. There is a lot of tell, and not enough showing us things. Showing us the main couple falling in love for example. Things just happen because they are supposed to happen. But at the same time, the story drags its feet so much and the plot and the character go in so many circles - which is a shame because the cast is great, but not used all that well within the story.
It’s Ro Seo who manages to shine the most in this drama and her character manages to be the heart of the story someone you can really root for. Hyeri is so likeable here. And if the story had been built solely around her, we might have gotten a better story. But it is Nam Young and his story halts the story so much. He is only there because Ro Seo needs some contradiction to her character and her story, but he does not get enough to do so that it has a strong enough impact on the story. His character hardly matters in the grand scheme of things.
This role insufficiently used Yoo Seung Ho, one of South Korea’s most talented actors in his age range, which is a damn shame. And while Yoo Seung Ho uses all his charisma and puts as many emotions and empathy into Nam Young as he can muster, the writing does not match his energy, so no matter what he does, Nam Young feels flat as a character. Which is frustrating to watch. He is a plot-point, not a solid character who influences the story itself. Most of the story he is just there.
Moonshine falls into the same pit that I think many period dramas like it fall into and that is to put too much emphasis on the palace politics and the royal family and uses it as a crutch or a tool to carry the story forward or build suspense - like the evil mother-in-law is used in rom-cos to add drama and stakes to the story and the romance. And it doesn’t really work. There is a certain skill that needs to make that work within a story, and it must be used with a purpose, or it becomes so dull. And many of these lighter period dramas, like Moonshine, don’t know how to utilize it. To me it comes off as a possible lack of courage in the story itself from the writer.
There is a lack of stability or focus in the story, especially towards the middle, which improves slightly as we get towards the end, but the story never really allows the moments to linger (and therefor there is a lack of buildup) and often seems too hasty so it comes across that the characters move with the story, but not the other way around. Things just need to happen. Therefore the tension in the narrative isn't really there.
Moonshine is an overall drama with lots of potential, but with such an aimless narrative that hesitates to take risks and break away from the norms of its genre, with crown princes, palace politics and forbidden love between classes etc. It leaves the mystery of the story in the dust and therefore the structure of the story, some of the character and many of the side-plots feel rather flat and they lack a little focus and depth. The drama wanted to do too much, but at the same time too little, with the time it took to tell this story. I cannot say that I was bored watching the drama, but rather that I was frustrated by the wasted potential of it all. The cast carried the drama through for me.
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The cake is too dry.
It looks great on the outside, but it tastes like sawdust.The cast is special. Atom is fantastic at everything, including perfect comic timing, Guide is both adorable and sexy, Poom is gorgeous and an excellent actor, and Ohm showed up to work.
The chemistry of the main couple is non-existent. Or I should say Guide makes a valiant effort but he pours his chemistry onto a fencepost. If only this series had Poom in the lead role - he and Guide had so much better chemistry that it was nearly impossible to cheer on the main pairing.
It's a mercy this was only 6 episodes, but it should have been 2 or 3. Or it could have worked as 6 if anything ever went anywhere or was explored. Why is Atom & Oab's mother like that? Why didn't Atom's character arc go anywhere? Why was Atom always wearing a shirt? What happened to Guy's store? Why did they wait until the last 2 minutes to sell grandma's cakes? Everthing is surface and there's no real character development. Shin SAYS he's become compassionate, but we never really saw it. Grandma is cute, but she's a stereotype of grandmotherly grandmotherness. (It's a minor miracle that she made it to the end - I lost a lot of money on that bet.)
I can't recommend this - it's dull and pointless, although if you want to stare for a few hours at a bunch of gorgeous men and Ohm, you may get some pleasure out of this.
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