Completed
Friends
19 people found this review helpful
Feb 7, 2012
4 of 4 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 9.0
This drama is awesome..

We can learn a lot of things here..
This drama tells us a lot about the different of Japanese culture and South Korea culture..

It is easy for Tomoko for going to South Korea, because the price in Korea is cheaper than Japan (based on Japanese point of view).

Otherwise, when Ji Hoon wants to meet Tomoko in Japan, he must work hard to earn money to go there.

This drama tells us how both of the main role try to adjust their culture (Tomoko is Japanese, while Ji Hoon is Korean) and to adapt with each mate's culture..

The conflict be more peaked when Ji Hoon parents know that their son has a Japanese girlfriend. Based on the drama, In Japan, maybe it is a common condition when Japanese has a foreign mate. But in Korea, it'll be a big problem.

When i watched this drama, I cried like a baby at the scene where Tomoko and Ji Hoon had to be parted.

But, in the end the can back together and overcome all the problem, especially the problem about different culture..

Honestly, this drama is one of my most favorite Drama.. :D

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Jan 24, 2025
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 7.5
Acting/Cast 6.0
Music 4.0
Rewatch Value 6.0

I would recommend this

i’ve seen a lot of critical reviews saying the series was poorly made, but we all know it didn’t have a big budget for better production. still, i think they really tried.

so far, i like the story because there aren’t too many characters, so the plot focuses on the main pair. they make a great duo, and the story feels different from other bl shows. the trope of a prisoner and a prisoner is rare since most bls are about high school love stories. the characters seem mature, but they’re clearly struggling with their relationship, like they’re yearning to be loved even though it feels forbidden because of who they are.

i’m honestly so curious about their backstories. i really want to know more about them.

to be honest, their acting needs improvement, but it’s understandable since it’s their first time acting. and while we can’t really complain about the writing since it’s based on a true story, i think they could’ve added better elements to the plot and executed the drama more smoothly.

this would be a good drama to watch if you’re short on time but still want a “good” plot. the episodes are really short, but so far it's a great story to watch.

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Completed
Ancient Detective
19 people found this review helpful
May 11, 2020
24 of 24 episodes seen
Completed 2
Overall 9.5
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 9.5

Wonderful Engaging Production

This is a through and through wuxia drama like in the old days with a mixture of seriousness and playfulness. Some scenes and dialogues are hilarious with simple, childish logic but I have thoroughly enjoyed the series. Being only 24 episodes long, every scene is a clue and every sentence can be a cue. The pace is perfect without any fillers. The scenes and dialogues are funny but without crassness. It has an Agatha Christie vibe, like gatherings of people who have all become suspects of a murder, and the case is solved by the process of elimination. 

The names of the characters are so funny and oxymoron - Jian Buzhi literally means "don't know a thing" but he's the brain; Zhao Wohuan literally means "I'll pay for everything" but he doesn't have a dime; Sima Dang literally means "take it as a dead horse" but he's the fastest person on earth; and there are many more names as such. The introduction of the Ming Yue (Miranda Ma) character was somber but then it starts to play the Beethoven Moonlight sonata for the background music because Ming Yue literally means "bright moon", and I laughed till I cried; it's just so hilarious and I love it.

There are many combatant sword fighting scenes with beautiful wuxia acrobatic moves, "qing gong", "nei gong" (inner energy), flying daggers and secret weapons. After each case is being solved, another different group of people re-gather and another mystery begins. All the mysteries and murders eventually tie to the bigger scheme of the overall mystery which is eventually revealed in the final episode.

The costumes of the characters are pretty basic except for Jian Buzhi who wears the most beautiful ropes with vibrant colors and patterns, and furs. His costumes make him stands out in the crowd of people whom he is constantly being surrounded by, and that's a very clever use of the costumes.

I love the bromance (if you want to call that) and romance in this drama; the bromance is good but the romance is greater. In fact, there are two main romantic couples in this story. Character development and the acting cast are fabulous. Everyone's acting is indeed very good, especially by Wang Yan Yang who portrays Zhao Wohuan. In fact, he's my favorite character. Despite physically well developed, he has a very innocent pure mind and always stands up for the weak. Wang Yan Yang's portrayal is absolutely amazing.

I also love how each episode ends. The editing is remarkable with the episodes cleverly end just before the revelation of the murderers or the next secrets, keeping the viewers suspended and hooked on to the story for the next episode. Just when you think all the mysteries are solved and the ending is nigh, an unexpected twist comes and blows my mind off. It's so wonderfully done and sets the expectation for a next season.

Yes, strongly recommended. A drama well done in every sense. TWO THUMBS UP!

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Completed
The Negotiation
19 people found this review helpful
May 17, 2019
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 7.0
This was a very clear cut movie. I like how everything was portrayed at the pace that we were shown.

It's a very specific negotiation story. It's also quite shocking. You don't know what's happening underneath the surface of what we as viewers get to see. Until we are given more facts. It's a puzzle box. A very intriguing puzzle.

Acting was great by our two leads. The story was very well put together. You root for those you root for. That can change minute to minute in this film.

Hyun Bin put so many layers and such depth into his character. I knew there was only one way this could end at a certain time. I just didn't give up hope. Also just saying I've never been a huge fan of Son Ye Jin, but I was pretty happy with how she acted out her role. I'm not sure how I would feel had it been anyone else now.

I'm glad I watched it. I don't think many movies can do what this one did for me emotionally. I was also on the edge of my seat. Constantly worrying and thinking about what what will happen next.
I think it would take a little more time before I can watch it again. I mean its way too fresh.

Sara Rojas MAY 17 2019

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Completed
Prince of Wolf
19 people found this review helpful
Dec 25, 2016
18 of 18 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 9.5
I enjoyed Wolf Prince because was diff then most dramas. Some people may not have taken anything from this drama. But found it a learning exp on the many ways of forgiveness. Being true 1 luv. Others realizing they won't have chance 2 win his heart. So the interfering stops & helps that person to do everything and anything to win s luv. As long it's not done in malice way. Luved it cause showed family values. A big way big heart on the true meaning of forgiving & keeping all the wrongs hurts in family to wrk out together. A great love story
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Completed
Joy of Life Season 2
77 people found this review helpful
May 20, 2024
36 of 36 episodes seen
Completed 19
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10

Have You Ever Thought of Going Against The Flow? Have you Ever Thought of Making The World Better?

"Joy of Life" Season 2 picked up from where season 1 left off. It continued with the life of Fan Xian, and how he climbs higher as an official and gained a strong foothold in court. Fairness, Justice, Principles, those are the things I like about Fan Xian. While Fan Xian is an official with high ambitions, he's different. Why? Other officials are willing. No, Many Officials will willingly step on hundreds, even thousands of innocent lives and common people so they could climb higher, to wield more power. Fan Xian on the other hand, wants power so he can protect his family, loved ones, and innocent lives. I love his character because he's both righteous and humane. He's someone who wants to put an end to evil and corruption, and right the wrongs that has become the norms in the imperial court.


Can Fan Xian achieve fairness without offending many powerful officials, and even the power hungry Imperial Princes? Or can he go against the flow, set a change, making the world a better place, with less evil without facing dangers? Of course not. But that's what makes the story more interesting. In this path Fan Xian has chosen, it's a path full of perils and dangers. A path where his enemies outweigh his allies. Many people will plot and scheme against him, some will even try to kill him, that's certain. However, Fan Xian is someone who's tactical, intelligent, and scheming, so even though his path is full of adversities, he's bound to overcome them with his intelligence. After all, though his enemies outweigh his allies, he's not without support.


To be honest, I don't know how Fan Xian was portrayed in the novel, but I would say I loved his character in the drama more. He does not only care for all human lives, he's also a faithful man. He's faithful to his feelings for Lin Wan'er. What do I love about "Joy of Life"? What I love about this "masterpiece" is not just because the ML is strong and intelligent, it's far from that. I love this drama because aside from the excellent portrayal of scheming in the imperial court (politics), all the characters acting were top notch. It also has strong character development, plus, the stunning cinematography that mustn't go unmentioned. It's wuxia genre is also a great bonus to the show.


Is this a drama that's to everyone's liking? Most definitely! Is this a drama worth the try for potential watchers who are not familiar with the plot? Of course, trying a new genre through Joy of Life will definitely make you love the genre, even if you're unfamiliar with it.
In short, "Joy of Life" Season 2 is a must watch for everyone and anyone who wants a drama with substance! As 'Joy of Life" season 2 has concluded with another cliffhanger, I hope Season 3, which will also be it's last season, the final conclusion of this wonderful drama, a drama that explores both good and evil, will be as tentative as the second and first season.
Can't wait to see how Fan Xian cleanse the imperial court in the last season, season 3, which their aren't much information about. But I'm hopeful it won't keep us waiting for too long.
Note; I have edited my review upon rewatching this drama, so for people who have read my review before, this is a new review that I wrote after rewatching this drama. After much thinking, I think this one suits this drama better.

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Completed
The Devil Judge
77 people found this review helpful
Aug 29, 2021
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 8
Overall 6.5
Story 6.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 2.0
Rewatch Value 2.0
This review may contain spoilers

It was good? but mostly just annoying.

Just gonna do pros and cons so that I don't ramble TOO much.

PROS:
+Yo Han
+Yo Han's mansion
+Yo Han's right hand man ("K")
+acting was top tier from the whole cast
+40% of Sun Ah's outfits
+Sun Ah shooting Heo Jung Se ( a.k.a K-Trump)
+the chemistry between Yo Han and Ga On
+the actress for Sun Ah played tf out her role
+the plot twist about the fire
+the shows general concept and the way they showed how interwoven the corruption was

CONS:
+ Ga On's naivety

+ Ga On being a self-righteous idiot until the very end

+ Soo Hyun being the WORST detective I've seen in a K-drama (not aware of her surroundings AT ALL, never calls for back up EVEN WHEN SHE BROUGHT A CHILD INTO A SITUATION WHERE A WHOLE GANG WAS BEATING PEOPLE UP......WITH PIPES, very biased towards one suspect even when given clues about others, indifferent to all the corrupt people in power because all her focus is on Yo Han)

+ SUN AH (every time I saw her face, it irked me; like, physical repulsion)

+ writers trying to give Sun Ah an incomplete redemption arc (it wasn't set up well)

+ people not having a brain of their own unless it's to blame Yo Han

+ GA OOOOOOON

+ the Ga On x Soo Hyun romance(very cliché and like ZERO chemistry)

+ again Soo Hyun being an idiot( how she gon' blame her tampering with a crime scene on Ga On? it was unnecessary for her to do it anyways??? they told you it was a suicide? you are also in control of your own actions?)

+how writers portray main female leads in a way that makes them extremely disliked by a lot of the audience; in this case, it would be Soo Hyun.

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Completed
Beauty of Resilience
74 people found this review helpful
Jun 16, 2023
36 of 36 episodes seen
Completed 1
Overall 3.0
Story 2.5
Acting/Cast 3.5
Music 3.0
Rewatch Value 1.0
This review may contain spoilers

What a waste!

I'm so amused at how I finished this trash, but I did well. And I'm so frustrated at this point. How is this even tagged as romance... there were just bits of pieces of it, which left a bitter taste in my mouth.

This tested my patience level every bit... I was waiting for the moment that it would get better. With the character arcs, their decisions, and most ridiculous not needed twists, it almost had nothing good to offer. The main leads were the worst... specially ml, he doesn't have a thing called the backbone, bro can't you just take a stand for once? rather than crying wailing... acting like ahh, I have to do these things for the sake of the greater good, I'm so done with these types of tropes, and the never-ending cycle of amnesias.

The only good thing about it was the side characters... some of them were good and way more interesting than the leads... but no, they were just thrown out of the plot and killed for convenience or I'd say to keep the story going as I don't think they had anything more to offer.

Ju Ying Yi... I'm so tired of seeing her in the same attire, the same makeup in literally everything and the thing is she's not that good of an actor too, to make the matter worst.

The chemistry between leads felt flat, so even with the little sprinkling of some sweet moments, romance was unsatisfying. The flow of the story was inconsistent. They had all the bad cliches of all xianxias I've seen till together I hated what they did with the ending... so in the end everything was for nothing?

Never thought my review after ages would be a rant but here you go... I guess all I needed to relieve my frustration towards it! And you better not watch it for your own good.

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Completed
Big
43 people found this review helpful
by Vic
Jul 24, 2012
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 2
Overall 5.0
Story 6.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 3.0
As much as I hate to say this, I'm really disappointed with this KBS BIG. It's a really cute/nice drama, yes. It started off really strong (which most kdramas are naturally good at imo), but as it progressed I lost more and more interest in it. For several reasons actually.

One, they don't provide enough background for the main cast of the drama. Instead they provide way too many fillers with useless information and subplots such as the romance between Teacher Ae Kyung and Na Hyo Sang's little romance. Or even more unbelievably pointless, Teacher Kim Young Ok and Kang Kyung Joon's Uncle's relationship to Gil Da Ran's parents. While their comedic relief is undeniable the time used up on these people could be used to focus on more interesting and informative things like Kyung Joon and Mari's past. Or Yoon Jae's dad and Kyung Joon's mom. Or more importantly Yoon Jae himself, cause honestly after the guy got knocked the hell out we really lost the chance to see any sort of character development. What little flashbacks that were provided simply werent enough because they centered around Gil Da Ran and Yoon Jae as a couple, not him as an individual.

Furthermore, how did Ma Ri and Kyung Joon become acquainted!? How'd she grow to be so in love (obsessed) with him? Besides a few flashback clips of him patting her on the head and her asking him to stop his mom from going to her dad, I really don't know much about this pairing's past.

Also, another thing the writers could have shed a little more light on is the truth behind Yoon Jae and Lee Se Young's relationship. Was it really one sided? And if it was why the fuck would he take and KEEP the key she gave to him if he wasn't wavering in the least bit? Is he really as pure in thought and mind as the writers have tried to convince us after discovering Lee Se Young's lies.

Speaking of the devil, Lee Se Young was a total waste of a potential character if you ask me. I mean really here you have two female antagonist, Seyoung and Mari, yet you give more screen time to the one who is mostly just an annoying fly on the wall with weak purpose. Other than being an manipulative and obnoxious little liar exactly what is she there for lmfao. It'd be something different if Kyung Joon actually had feelings for Mari which would create more tension and drama with a real love triangle. Or maybe a love square? I'm not sure? Can you really count Yoon Jae anymore since he's pretty much had no say in the matter for the last uh...15 episodes.

But anyway, we can't really speak for Mari and Kyung Joon's past because like many other important things it's vague as fuck.

As far as the casting goes, I think it's safe to say that Gong Yoo (((oppa))) saved this drama. As always his performance reeled me in like a fish. I swear when he cries angels grab the tissues and start dabbing away at their tears, lbr. Every emotion is so believable.

LEE MIN JUNG. Love the girl i really do but i hate the character lmfao. She just seems so useless half the time? And only plays a game of tug of war with her feelings. Like really I can just picture her sitting on a park bench, plucking the petals off a sunflower and saying "I love him....I love him not...I love him...I love him not". Cause that's all her character did this entire time besides act like she older than Kyung Joon by 15 years and scold him restlessly even though he has more courage, patience, consistency, commitment, and sincerity in the tip of his finger than she possess in her entire fucking body. Honestly, she just proved to me that an age gap has little to do with maturity and readiness in terms of love. BUT I'M SORRY, i can't blame Lee Min Jung for having an "eh" role. I mean she didn't write it ykwim? Lmfao i really like her acting so I won't continue to complain.

OK. BUT LASTLY.

WHAT'S EVEN MORE UPSETTING

IS HOW THIS DRAMA DRAGS ON AND ON AND ONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN AND ONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN and ONNNNNNNNNNNNNN AND ONNNNNNNNN-....see what i did there. Yea.

The writers spend most of the time making the main cast look like indecisive dumbasses instead of worrying about how to settle the "after come".

Here's a timeline of what they do:

exposition --> rising action --> CLIMAX? --> K nope rising action --> rising action --> CLIMAX NOW?..anybody? idk --> falling action? --> nope havent reached the climax i don't think --> a bunch of plot twists --> ok wtf are we even doing anymore --> finale resolution (lol hi)

Lmfao. Kyung Joon hasn't returned to his own body and there's only 1 episode left to take care of that. Naturally, this will lead me to believe that everything will be jam packed into the finale. I'm praying that it won't be sloppy. I'm praying that it won't be a cop out ending in which they pull a "5 years later" type of thing. There's literally so many things to cover after they switch bodies back that it just leaves...to many doubts and little hopes for a clean end.

If you ask me they could have spent less screen time on useless things like standing around crying while dramatic OST music plays in the background; or, knixed one of the supporting cast subplots on creating more time for the finale, in which all questions can be answered. All loose knots can be tied.

Anyway, overall this drama just seems to be yet another predictable and shallow romance that can be used to pass time. It gets kudos for some of the exceptional pieces of eye candy though.

But again, Gong Yoo was terrific and gives a heart trembling performance as always! So, if you're a huge fan of him you can give this drama a shot.

(might edit after watching the last ep)

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Completed
Are You the One
45 people found this review helpful
Aug 12, 2024
40 of 40 episodes seen
Completed 1
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 5.0
Rewatch Value 5.0
This review may contain spoilers

This is going to be angsty as hell! I'm hooked!

Ep 1 to Ep 10:
-----------------
This is doing amazingly well! I expected it to be good because of Zhang Wan Yi but I didn't expect much from Wang Chu Ran. I have only seen her in 1 drama so far and didn't think much of her acting in that one. But she is doing a great job in this role. I like listening to Zhang Wan Yi's voice, there's this desperation to it. (I'm weird) At least I hope that it is his voice and not being dubbed by someone else. It sounds exactly the same as his character in Cang Xuan in Lost You Forever. Okay enough drooling over the guy, back to the drama at hand.

Cui Xing Zhou is cunning and ruthless, I kinda want to be mad at him but I cannot, because I think the Liu Mian Tang who has her memory is just as bad. (The creators made is so obvious that she is the Liu Wen they are looking for) She is gonna come at him hard once she figures out he has been lying to her. (At least, I hope that happens. I hope that she isn't one of the characters, that falls in love and is like, Oh okay, I understand. He is in a tough position and couldn't' have done anything else. ) I want to feel the betrayal from her.

When I started the episode from the first scene I was thinking this is what I was talking about, they had my attention. (I was comparing it to another drama I was looking forward to but missed a lot of marks: Love’s Rebellion) I like the visuals, but a lot of the places remind me of few other dramas. For example, the corner of their shop is very similar to the shop in Lost You Forever 2 where Xiao Yao drops some herbs or something and then Tushan Jing helps her out. There's one another one that reminds me of stage where Xu Fang Fie played the Guqin that made everyone cry in The Double. (I don't know if they are same or similar, even if they are the same it is even better in my books)

My current issue with Liu Mian Tang and how easily she seems to swallow his lies. His explanations are so weird, I wonder why she doesn't question them more. (Had it not been for that, I would have rated it higher)

Cui Xing Zhou is so hilarious, the efforts he has to put in to play house with Mian Tang make it fun to watch. At the same time, you want to call him an ass because poor Mian Tang is hooked. You have got to give it to her, she has been so damn understanding of everything he does.

I do wonder what he is going to do about his betrothed or fiancée! Dammit, it doesn't seem like he is going to cancel the engagement. I'm really not into the whole suffering that the wife and concubine dynamics bring. The only people who benefit in that one is the poor excuse for a husband and manipulative wives. (Not into it, sure hope the guy wizens up)

Ep 11 to Ep 20:
-------------------
I paused the drama at episode 10 and then went to find the book. I didn't much care for CXZ in the books in the beginning and only started liking him after they got married. CXZ complex character made it a much interesting read and it wouldn't have been the same otherwise. By the end of the book, you are glad that they end up together because they are good for each other.

Fortunately for all of us, the drama has a bit more of humorous tone and has found the perfect way to balance CXZ's ruthlessness and his love for LMT. I have liked the drama CXZ since the beginning, there's one or two instances where he was ruthless as well, one of them is very clear, the scene in the first few episodes where CXZ schemed to have her carriage broken up and she fell out of it, that was bad no matter how you look at it. Later on, when he continues to hide his real identity when there are so many chances to fess up.

I feel sad for LMT who has lost her memory and is harmless puppy who only cares about her husband's wellbeing. In contrast, CXZ life is bigger & doesn't simply involve her. He has too much to think about & LMT adds to that burden. And while I understand where he is coming from, he doesn't even know LMT is Lu Wen at this point. To him she is someone who has fallen on hard times and had to become Lu Wen's concubine. If not for his growing feelings, he would have let her go. And he did with that divorce letter, but he didn't dare fess up. The only reason he doesn't is that he isn't ready to handle the repercussions.

He is warmer in the drama, his visit to LMT before he left for Jinjia pass was a welcoming change. He even apologized to her sleeping form, he never did that in the books.

I have liked and admired Shi Xue Ji since I first saw her. I wish to meet more women like her and LMT in real life, people who aren't driven by jealousy. They have bigger things to worry about. They make a decision and stick to it.

I like the development between Zhao Quan and He Zhen. Although jealousy and envy gets to her from time to time, He Zhen still comes to her senses and makes wise decisions. Her entire 1 sided thing for CXZ was pitiful to watch. I'm also glad that Zhao Quan doesn't seem to covet LMT anymore. These two are more suited for each other. I'm a bit surprised with Zhao Quan's character transformation here.

Coming to Sun Yun Er, had she only loved Zi Yu and not been so envious of LMT, it would have been fine. She kept going out of her way to ensure that LMT died even when she had forgotten everything. One of the most satisfying things in the books was when LMT catches Sun Yun Er red-handed at the time Sun Yun Er hires a guy to pretend to be Cui Jui. They let her off easy in the drama, she got beaten by LMT's maids, one of the things that she would never forget about.

Ep 21 to Ep 30:
-------------------
Things are going to tough between them for a while now. I want to see them face off, knowing each other's identities. So, he finally figured out that she is Lu Wen. He did it quite early in their relationship and he seemed rational about it. Ep 22 was more focused on Zi Yu's part of it and his play for the throne. He is more like Cang Xuan in Lost You Forever. Zi Yu has been on his own journey since the get go, which is one of the reason he decided to push away LMT. He thought that he could win her back, but that's not going to work in his favour. I'm not even worried about the preview episode 24, LMT might need some time to organize her thoughts and CXZ will win her back soon enough.

Having binged the first half of the drama, the one episodes day go painfully slow. All I know is that drama CXZ is gold! I don't know why people expect LMT to just forgive and forget easily. It doesn't happen overnight, they need time apart to sort things out. It will be better for both of them.

Yes, the drama did change quite a few things and some were for the better. I have completed the novel and I liked it. So far, I have liked the drama regardless of the changes they have made. One thing they got right was what CXZ felt for LMT. Although their relationship began as a lie, once he fell for her he was all in. Just as it is shown in the drama. The only difference is that he is a more considerate of her in drama. We might see him being more domineering in the future but he isn't a guy who would treat his partner poorly. Right now (ep 26 to 28), the drama has slowed down a bit and it seems like a waiting game for something drastic. It gives me the same vibes as the beginning of the drama. Looking forward to the last leg of the drama things are gonna be rollercoaster from now onwards.

Ep 31 to Ep 40:
-------------------
Ep 31 and 32 went as expected. There's one part in the book that absolutely love (it involves some morons getting slapped), I hope that we get to see in the coming episodes. I liked how CXZ and LMT handle his mother. I love her mind. That ending looked promising for Shi Xue Ji but I would have liked to see more of good moments between the two. One of the scenes that I liked the best was CXZ's prison break where he and LMT fought together that was the most interesting scene in this last arc.

Comparison with the novel (If you haven't read the book, feel free to ignore the following):
They have cast the right people for all the roles, especially Zhang Wan Yi & Wang Chu Ran. I'll be seeking out all of Wang Chu Ran's dramas from now on.
I feel that they left out a lot of scenes and pivotal moments from the book that could have made this drama a lot more interesting and less linear. (By lot, I do mean lot!) I'll just go re-read the book again someday.
I was looking forward to Cui Xing Di's role but he turned out to be just a very underutilized supporting character.
It would have been fun to see Li Guang Cai & Cui Fu get together, but she is sticking with her fickle husband.
Although I liked the CXZ in drama a lot better, there were times when it became too comical for me and I wanted to see more of a composed CXZ.

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Completed
Glory
45 people found this review helpful
by MiaGM Big Brain Award1
Jan 18, 2026
36 of 36 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 9.0

A well-made drama

The story is quiet refreshing and engaging to watch. I watched this drama as it dropped episode by episode and it felt a little disjointed so I rewatched it for that continuous feel, which made me appreciate it better.

Many actors in this drama played their roles really well. The main leads, Gulinazha played Rong Shanbao really well and Huo Ming Hao as Lu Jianglai actually brought more life to those moments with Rong Shanbao with his micro-expressions. He is a really good actor and I enjoyed his acting.

The set and the costumes are well-thought of. The tea plantation scenery are very scenic and indeed.

There are even lessons about tea at the end of some episodes. As a non-chinese watcher, I learned something as well. Kudos.

Overall, I enjoyed this drama and would recommend it to others.

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Completed
Check Out
44 people found this review helpful
Jul 11, 2022
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 7.5
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 5.0
This review may contain spoilers

It ended. That's all folks! (eps 1-13)

Review ep 1-5:
So much anticipation. So much disappointment. I'm NOT dropping this since I keep hoping for redemption, BUT it better come.
As many, I got so hyped up by ep. 0. But the only thing left standing is the acting. Honestly, I commend the actors for portraying these people so well. They are making stupid decisions, act irrationally and the story is both boring and weird.
Some scenes make me vear up with excitement because I hope this is the moment it gets better, but alas.
The fact that the comic relief character has the best part, is shocking.
Wish me luck for the remainder!

Review ep 6-7:
We seem to be getting more story and real drama between our leads. Ep. 7 is the best one so far. The last scene is heart breaking, even though Praew is totally unlikable. Poor Nine is finally making some real choices and Daonuea is being his dramatic self. On the very edge of annoying and cute. For the first time i'm actually excited for the next ep.

Review ep. 8-9:
It keeps overpromising and underdelivering. The love scenes feel insincere at this point, they come from nowhere, there is no build-up. A few scenes later a new (or old) drama ensues and were back to the start. It could be so much better!

Review ep. 10:
Finally!! This was sooo so cute!! I loved the way they are getting shy now that they are officially together. The rings exchange made me swoon. The soft looks Nine gives Daonuea are everything. Lets keep this vibe up y'all!!

Review ep 11:
Well the dreaded 11th episode served us Drama!
Poor Daonuea. Always drawing conclusions and not checking. So much insecurity. I hope he'll be able to overcome this self doubt and trust he is worth all of nines love. Tee and Ice are having moments! There's something brewing there for sure. Candy and Boat are adorable. Although this is a BL, I want more of them. I adjusted my overall rating from 6,5 to 7,5.

Well I did it. I finished without dropping. And ended with a 7.5 rating. With the remark that 7.5 in my way of always generously rating is just about average. It could have been so much better, so much more than average!

What I liked:
- DaoNine chemistry. Especially coming from Nine. I get butterflies level 1000 when he only even glances at Daonuea.
- Scenery. Especially @The Air. I want to book my next vacation there...

What I disliked:
- Daonuea when he throws a fit over nothing. I would love to see him get help for his dramatically low self-esteem and paranoia.
- Rough story telling. Not really bad writing, it just feels like the writing was not really completed when filming started. Still needed much work.
- Too many unfinished character stories. Candy & Boat just bled out, IceTee is just getting started, who and where are all those other boys with Nine...
- unfunny comedy attempts
- horrible pacing

And... It seems like 1 or 2 scenes from the trailers did not make it into the final version. Why??

Review Ep. 13:
Surprise! We get more of IceTee (love this ship name :) ). How or why Ice comes in for an interview? Who knows. But he's here. and he's not going anywhere apparently because before we know it him and Tee are all over eachother. It says a lot that their office make out scene is much hotter than NineDao's was. But that is about the only difference. and this scene is most likely why the episode was made. Not that we are complaining, because whew! But not a lot else is worth mentioning here. But you should definitely watch it.


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Completed
Stay with Me
16 people found this review helpful
Aug 12, 2023
24 of 24 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 8.0
This review may contain spoilers

Goodby Lonely Heart...


first of all, yes it's definitely a romance!
While up to episode 20 you can still speak of a very intimate friendship/brotherhood (with many subtle), this line is crossed at the latest from episode 21.
Because what happens then can no longer be other than a love affirmation, because you have kisses, cuddling, dirty jokes and even a confession on the beach and thereby the series goes very tame but still further than some KBLs I've seen recently.
And the relationship itself is probably one of the most romantic things I've seen lately, as you really see two soul mates who would give anything for each other.
But just in the middle are a few lengths and a few plots that are not bad in themselves, but could not fully convince me, such as the story of Wu Bis's birth mother or the girlfriend of Wu Bi's brother.
Apart from that, family has a special place in this drama and especially the scenes with the chosen family of the two with little Dua are always very heartwarming.
All in all, "Stay with me" is a more than positive surprise and I personally like it better than the other version "Addicted" but I don't know if it lives up to the current hype.
Apart from that, I'm not that happy with the ending, even if it is the technical end of book one, especially because a second season is not guaranteed.
And also that at the end of another more explicit version with extra scenes should come out, I'm happy of course but I hope the whole project does not fall victim to censorship before.

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Completed
Doctor X
16 people found this review helpful
Nov 3, 2012
8 of 8 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 9.0
This has got to be the one of the most interesting and fascinating medical drama that I've seen in a long time. It sucks you in within 15 mins and you’ll be begging for more.

The main reason for this is the character of Daimon Michiko played by Yonekura Ryoko. She makes the wide-eyed, constantly calm, mysterious and confident character (she goes dancing every night!!) so captivating that u just want to know more about her. The story seems extremely realistic but different at the same time.

The other actors too have done a pretty good job in playing their parts. This drama mainly shows us how Daimon Michiko does her job as a doctor without being hindered by the bureaucratic nature of the hospital.

This drama is a MUST watch because trust me it will always keep you interested. (She is kinda like a super hero :P)

I'm eagerly waiting for the next episodes!!

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Completed
Love All Play
16 people found this review helpful
Jun 9, 2022
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10

The chemistry between Chae jong hyeop and park ju hyun

It's worth watching, I kept watching it over and over again and I'll still watch it again. You've got to watch it guys. It's just so interesting 🥰. They both got through their problem together and when it comes to their match, they have a team work and they understand each other. Chae jong hyeop shows us that no matter what happens, we should let love lead, we shouldn't be selfish, we should put ourselves in others shoe. And the chemistry between those two, I mean the park twins, it's just so muah........... Like I said before, I'll still watch it again, I'm keeping it till I see a movie that's far more interesting than this but I don't think there'll be any because I'm just so obsessed with the park twins. They are my new celebrity idol 😘. I'm a fan and I'm rooting for you guys. Fighting 💪 and keep up the good work. More projects with good ratings is coming your way very soon.

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