1Emerging from Darkness
From this drama's intro, the tone was set. This wasn't going to be some simple romance with a love square.It was an intricately tangled, suffocating spider's web with Da On at the center of it all, fighting to free himself, all the while twisting into it more and more.
His all-consuming fear, confusion, indecision, heartbreak, anger, strength, and hope were portrayed as such visceral and vivid emotions I felt I was right there frozen, shaking, crying, screaming, and smiling with him.
With nothing more than the look in their eyes, I understood every character's motivation.
The attention to detail in this was striking.
And it dared to be more.
It unapologetically dove into physical and emotional abuse, manipulation, trauma, codependency, and self-blame. It framed the toxicity and harm our main ML experienced/was experiencing as horrifying as it is in reality. While others in the drama pointed accusing fingers at Da On, Secret Relationships didn't.
We heard his story from his perspective and got to see him slowly find it within himself to save and value himself and go after his own happiness.
It is a thoroughly engaging but not generally pleasant watch. If you are in a good place, I more than recommend it.
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Unnecessary Sad Ending!
After building each character beautifully the writer shits on the very last episode of the show. The character build was amazing and the relationship between all 5 were beautifully written, with focusing majorly on Na-Hee Do and Back-Ye Jin relationship from the start and the series was going great, but I don’t know what went up with the writer that he thought an unpolished, unexplained unnecessary sad ending with major plot holes will make this series rank highest in the list of every k-drama fan, like you got to be kidding me LOL. It completely ruined the mood and I'm sure it disappointed many viewers on so many levels. Both the characters: Na-Hee Do & Back-Ye jin were shown to have great understanding nature, but at the end they were completely out of character and showed no understanding to each others situation whatsoever, fighting over a small bump they had because Ye Jin temporarily moved to NY to cover 911, which could have been easily resolved as he hid no feelings from her but explained everything which caused him depression. Also, she lost some diary of hers on the bus and from nowhere some guy/girl got it and posted it to Back-Ye Jin without any mistake, I mean where did they get the address EXPLAIN?????!!!!, and he after writing some message for Na-Hee Do chose to send it through the "library guy" she used buy comics from, before 2000, instead of sending via post, BOY SERIOUSLY?????!!!!! Well, whatever, the series is not a must watch for sure and you can happily skip if you want. I will not be recommending this to anyone further. It’s a total waste of time!Was this review helpful to you?
Another korean queerbait
Fans of the manhwa will be disappointed. Honestly, i watched this pretending i never saw the manhwa because i knew how i would feel. Don't get me wrong, this drama is good in a lot of things. It has a nice vibe, it have a nice pace (in the beginning, at least) and the actors have a good chemistry. BUT after watching it for complete, you realize it was a 7 episode long queerbait. The show writers had NO intention in making a romance, there's NO ROMANCE. They saw the word "gay" and said "we don't do this in here". It made me frustrated and SHOULDN'T BE NORMALIZED. You won't find a straight korean romantic drama or a romcom without the romance. So why the gays can't have it too? They keep using us for views and popularity and they don't even give us what we want to watch. Can't we have a nice romance too?Was this review helpful to you?
Bizarre Script and Editing Suppress Excellent Performances
Doona really missed the mark.Like many Kdramas, the beginning is interesting and draws you in. This is a story about two unlikely lovers: the male lead, a struggling, earnest student/tutor working hard to secure his future who happens to cohabitate in the same house as the female lead, a former Kpop idol who acts brash but hides her vulnerability . For the veteran watcher, this appears to be a healing-love story that you've seen before, but smart, ethereal cinematography and powerful performances by Suzy, Yang Se Je Jong, and the supporting cast make it a special experience.
But unfortunately, a truly bizarre final episode manages to subvert all of the hard work put into Episodes 1-8. I won't spoil it for the curious reader who wants to experience the Kdrama for themselves, but for me, the ending was not earned by the story's progression: characters acted in ways that weren't true to their personalities, and for me, it seemed like the showrunners were trying to put into a double twist-of-fate, but for me, it backfired and just became weird.
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Truth doesn't equal Accountability
Though at the core this drama is of FL whose family is massacred and she is out for revenge, the revenge story is told through series of cases solved by FL and ML rather than a straightforward vengeance arc. Each case stands on it own as well and all these come together and build something heavier and unsettling.This is a deeply female centric drama. FL Is the intelligent martial arts well versed person whereas the ML is more like an intelligent companion who uses his knowledge and memory and observation kills to help the ML. Individual cases are not just mysteries to be solved , they expose how women were oppressed and abused in palaces and by men in power. And how men in power used other women to trap, lure, target weak women and families to abuse women and keep their chain going. The writing and drama doesn't sugar coat it at all. As viewers watch cases unfold, FL investigated these cases, risks her life, everything to uncover the truth, but despite that Justice never truly gets served.
This drama's central theme gets beautifully summed up by FL in the end when she says
“What’s the point of uncovering the truth when no one actually gets justice?”
Wrongdoers do not always receive the punishment they deserve. It’s a frustrating truth, but also a painfully realistic one. In that sense, the drama feels incredibly relevant to present times, where powerful networks protect their own and truth does not always equal accountability.
Bai Lu delivers one of her most restrained yet powerful performances here. Her character is a woman shaped by survival — someone forced to protect herself while still maintaining her compassion.What I appreciated most was how layered she felt;Guarded, but not cold. Strong, but not invulnerable. Caring toward her princess friend, her subordinates, and the empress who raised her. She carries the revenge arc, and it feels earned. This is very much her story. she reminded me many times of Ling Bu Yi from LLTG. The ML played by Wang Xin Yue plays a reserved, poker-faced astronomer who avoids court politics but gets pulled into investigations because of his sharp observational skills and intellect.He performs the role well — but it does feel somewhat familiar. If you’ve seen him in other dramas, you may feel he’s treading similar ground. It’s not disappointing, just not particularly expansive in terms of showing new acting range.
The leads begin flirting early, but it evolves into a slow-burn dynamic built on intellectual compatibility and quiet support.
There’s no dramatic, over-the-top passion — it’s more about being on the same wavelength, mutual respect,shared understanding. It feels like regular more realistic love.
Fight scenes are well choreographed.Costumes are detailed and thoughtfully aligned with each case and its themes. The pacing remains steady throughout.
Overall one of the best female centric drama which doesn't reduce ML into some weak person or doesn't make the FL into a toxic masculine character. On one hand the drama shows the cruelty and oppression of women by men, also on the other hand it shows the men and women who help rescue them. A well balanced drama in that aspect of showing the power of feminine with help amd support of the masculine.
Rating 8.7/10
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Powerful first half, unsatisfying second half.
I hopped on the hype train when I saw all those 10/10 reviews, but this certainly did not live up to the expectations for me. Here are my thoughts after watching the drama, as a dissenting opinion to all the 10s in the reviews. I would recommend watching Flower of Evil, but don't expect too much like I did.The first few episodes set the stage for the story, leaving you wondering what each characters' motivations are. However, as the drama progressed, new characters were introduced and they start to become plot devices just to push the story forward. Without spoiling too much of the plot, I felt like the damsel in distress sister and the comatose guy had highly convenient relationships with the main cast that would just be ridiculous in reality. Also, the whole human trafficking side plot was unnecessary...
There is some suspense of belief required here, as this is absolutely NOT a realistic drama. Of the several crime/police dramas I have watched before, this does not rank high. If you're watching this merely for Lee Joon ki, Lawless Lawyer has a much better and believable drama structure. I understand the need in Dramaland for some coincidences, but this drama has one too many. After a few near-death experiences, trapping Lee Joon ki in a burning building doesn't make my heart race anymore because you know that he is effectively immortal in Dramaland anyway. Skip 20 seconds of burning building footage and his wife will magically appear and save him. Towards the end, I also found myself skipping the romantic scenes to get to the end of the story. I just wanted to know how the good guys and bad guys stories end, and everything else was filler to me. Blame the writer for writing it this way, but there has to be a better way to cause conflict.
Overall, I agree with the consensus that the cinematography and directing was superb. However, the writing was a bit questionable, as it got pretty repetitive later on. If you're new to police dramas, there are much better ones than this. If you're looking for a melo disguised as a thriller, there are also better ones out there. Once you've watched those, come back for this one - it's not bad, but definitely not worth a 10.
*SPOILER*
Throughout the entire drama, I felt like the idea that Do Hyun su is not a bad guy is forced down our throats. Everyone's actions are very one-dimensional - all the police were always against the homicidal monster, while Hyun su's side was continuously trying to drive the narrative that serial killing does not run in the family. While the premise was interesting pre-watch, I think it got tiring towards the end when it was the exact same Good vs. Evil trope.
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? Mercy for None: Stylish Fights Over Substance
Rating: 7.5/10Recommended for: action junkies, background bingers, or anyone craving intense visuals.
Not for: lovers of layered storytelling or emotional nuance.
If you're in the mood for a visually gripping binge with intense action and minimal brain work, Mercy for None might just be your weekend filler.
The series centers entirely around revenge and while that’s a classic motive, the storyline doesn’t offer much beyond that. There’s little to no plot development or depth, and if you’re someone who watches for clever twists or emotional arcs, this might fall flat. It’s a straight road from Point A to Point B, with fists flying all the way.
That said, the fight choreography is incredible. Stylish, brutal, and sometimes over-the-top to the point of being unrealistic but that’s part of the fun if you’re in the right mood. It’s one of those shows where you won’t care much about what’s happening as long as something’s exploding or someone’s getting kicked through a wall.
The acting is strong, which is no surprise given the star-studded cast. They make even the most cliché moments watchable. But even their performances can't fully compensate for the lack of a compelling story.
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Enchantment + Chemistry + Magic = Alchemy of Souls
There have already been numerous lengthy reviews criticizing and praising this drama. So, I don't think I'll need to write another lengthy one. But I couldn't help but write one for this drama because I needed to make my points about why it's so good and deserves what it's getting. I'll try to keep this brief and to the point, but please forgive me if it gets out of hand. : DAlchemy of Souls is a Studio Dragon and High Quality action + fantasy k-drama written by the Hong sisters (Hong Jung Eun and Hong Mi Ran) and directed by Park Joon Hwa. I'll give you a quick summary of the story:
The story takes place in Daeho, a fictional land centred on Lake Gyeongcheondaeho, where mages with the ability to control vast amounts of energy from the lake live. The plot revolves around our heroine, Naksu, the Shadow Assassin, who is regarded as a major threat to Daeho's mages. A situation arises that forces Naksu to perform the Alchemy of Souls, a forbidden magical art that allows a person to transfer their soul to another person's body. Sadly, she becomes trapped in the body of Mu Deok, a mysterious girl. Her weak body prevents her from using her abilities. Then she meets Jang Uk, the young master Jang, who is considered one of Daeho's 'Four Seasons' (Winter), along with Seo Yul (Autumn), Jin Cho Yeon (Spring), and Park Dang Gu (Summer). Jang Uk had been looking for a master who could teach him how to use spells since he was forbidden to do so from birth, which caused many scandals. Naksu agrees to teach Uk because the deal benefits Naksu as well. Then, they work together to achieve their goals and uncover dark secrets buried deep in Daeho's history.
So, that's what the story is about.
Now, I'll focus on the plus points and short comings of the drama and justify why AoS deserves the rating I have given it.
PROS:
*AoS has an amazing story line. It's new and original. The Hong sisters created a whole new world with their imagination. The whole thing is new to us, and we can't help but watch it.
*The plot is so very intriguing with its twists and turns. The way each revelation is made is gripping. It always succeeded in keeping me on the edge of my seat! I can justify that because you'll be left with many questions as the 1st part ends. My mind is burning to know everything!
*The characters in this drama are as intriguing as the plot. They are three-dimensional and multi-faceted. We can see that the characters are built with great care so that they remain true to their original selves till the very end of the drama.
*Another positive aspect of the drama is the chemistry between the characters. Whatever their relationship was, all of the characters on screen seemed to have amazing chemistry with each other.
*The plot did justice to all of the drama's genres, whether it's comedy, action, suspense, or fantasy. The comedic scenes, particularly those between Mu Deok and the Crown Prince, were fantastic! I laughed quite a few times. The action scenes in this drama were excellent too! I liked it very much!
*The complex CGI used in this drama is spectacular! We can't take our eyes off the screen because it's so stunning! This was a visual treat to watch.
*It was a pleasure to watch the cast's acting! The majority of the cast delivered outstanding performances. They made the characters seem real. They made us feel their emotions and live with them, especially the main characters. Actually, this is my first Jung Su Mo and Lee Jae Wook drama. But this single drama has made me fall in love with them! I was astounded by Jung Su Mo's ability to portray so many different personas with so many different expressions! Lee Jae Wook was also fantastic! Despite being a relatively new actor, he seemed to outperform veteran actors! Hwang Min Hyun and Shin Seung Ho's performances have also impressed me. They both played quite difficult characters, and they nailed it! Yoo In Soo, of course, is the person who has most impressed me. I saw him in All Of Us Are Dead, where he played a very different character than he did here. To be more specific, the two characters were like night and day! The majority of the other leads have also done well. Let's give them all a standing ovation!!!
*Another thing I liked about this drama is how different it is from other wuxia dramas. Men with long wigs and women with complex hairstyles are common in Wuxia dramas. But, here, most men here have short hair and various hairstyles, whereas most women have modern hairstyles such as bangs, short hair, and so on. Some of the characters even have coloured hair! At first, I was annoyed by this, but then I realised that the variety makes this drama more memorable. *This drama's sound effects are undeniably beautiful. It provided me with the right vibes for each scene. The OSTs were all excellent as well! Scars Leave Beautiful Traces and You Are Everything To Me are some of the drama's most memorable OSTs.
CONS:
I'm not denying the drama's flaws. Everything has some drawbacks. Some of the things in the drama that irritated me the most were:
*Excessive scene repetition. After all, we are not idiots. We don't have such a bad memory that we need to be reminded of what happened every time something is mentioned.
*Another undeniable flaw in the drama is the underutilization of the female lead, Nak Su. She was introduced as a badass fl, but she was gradually reduced to being the ML's love interest only. Perhaps we'll see more of Nak Su in the coming season. So let us just wait.
*There are undeniably a lot of romantic elements in this drama. They could have given it less screen time and instead focused on improving the drama's other flaws.
*During the middle of the drama, there were numerous filler episodes. During that time, nothing actually happened. This has also turned off a lot of people. They could have finished this in 15 or 16 episodes.
*Another undeniable con of the drama is its underusing of the female lead, Nak Su. She was introduced as a badass fl but, slowly, she was sidelined to being the ML's love interest only. Maybe we'll get to see more of Nak Su in the next season. So let's wait.
*Undeniably, there are more than enough romantic elements in this drama. They could have given less screen time for it and instead focused on improving the other lacking aspects of the drama.
Overall:
I don't think I have anything more to say about the drama, but I can say confidently that this has become one of my favourite dramas, which will live on in my memory for the rest of my life. Hope this review has justified the drama.
If you like fantasy, action or adventure, this drama is highly recommended. The time invested will be worthwhile. Let's all look forward to the Part 2 of the drama and get the answers for all our questions!
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I thought it would be a light romcom but it turned out to be such a weird amalgamation of thriller-romance-comedy-mystery-supernatural that it was gruesome to watch. First of all, there is no plot in this drama and its all fluff. There is no build up to any climax and it falls very flat after first few episodes. All the episodes are the same and have the same format that there was no compelling reason for me to stay even though I ended up pulling through to finish it. They go on dates, look for the culprit, and show some slapstick humor with guys in suits (and that wasn't even funny). Was the mystery aspect worth staying for? Not at all. It was so poorly written, predictable and weird. The suspect is a psychopath who targets skinny women -- this was discomforting and out of place in a drama that is supposed to be a romcom. Because it tries to be so many things, all of its "subplots" it attempts to execute is poorly done and awkwardly paced. It goes from cute and fun to outright disturbing and ridiculous farce. I ended up skipping over parts of the drama during the parts where there were just a bunch of random men trying too hard to be funny with their buffoonery and horseplay. It was just so immature and hard to watch and was completely irrelevant to the plot and characterization. Many of the "plots" are so insignificant, such a letdown and not worth staying for at all either. For example, when the person who was making threats to Min Hyuk was finally revealed, it is then forgotten about for the rest of the drama. It was pointless and anti-climatic. A lot of things happen in the drama without meaning. The drama was not mentally stimulating even though it was mentally exhausting.
Don't get me wrong, I do like romcoms but this was just too messy and predictable that I couldn't enjoy it. There are some cute moments with Bong Soon and Min Hyuk and they do a lot of aegyo if you're into that. It tries to appeal to the audience by being intentionally cheesy but I found it cringey and cliché. In addition, I was initially looking forward to seeing two of the male actors I love in one drama but even their presence there wasn't enough to make me enjoy it in the slightest. It was just so boring to watch them in that stupidly predictable love triangle. It would have made so much more sense to have Bong Soon and Gok Doo end up together, especially after they had been crushing on each other since high school. But somehow they just keep missing each other by the second. It was frustrating to watch even though we all knew the outcome of the triangle. Gok Doo, one of the main characters, felt like a side character and he literally has one emotion throughout the entire drama. Everyone in the drama just felt so insignificant and static. I know having the gay man in the drama was supposed to be funny but it would have been offensive since he was portrayed in the most typical way ever and I swear he screams everytime he's on screen. It felt like I was in some sort of replay loop whenever interactions with the side characters came into play. Bong Soon's mom was the most useless mom I have ever seen and I hated how dense and simple minded she was portrayed as even though an attempt was made to justify her actions towards the end. I also found Bong Soon so annoyingly reckless and discreetly pretentious everytime she whined about having her power yet flaunting it to other people and even abusing it while being unnecessarily disrespectful to the employees of the company. She was so childish, naive, and high maintenance and I just don't get that it's the reason why the two boys are heads over heels for her. The way she and whines cries reminds me of a child that you want to slap but you just can't because they're a child. I didn't have much patience for her even though everyone found her cute. The cuteness and fluff was just way over the top that it left a bitter aftertaste in my mouth.
Unless a drama has particularly beautiful OSTs, I usually don't pay too much attention or notice it. But I absolutely hated the music here, and maybe it's because its associated with my dislike towards the drama itself. It was so annoying to listen to that I'm so glad its over now.
Overall, this drama was a letdown and caused me a lot of grief, I don't even know how I didn't end up dropping it after episode 6.
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• 𝗡𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗜 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝘃𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝘀 altogether in a drama, the appearance of those flowers on my screen were real healing element and stress relief to my busy days ✨ So thanks a lot to the crew of The Best Thing for making my days with those beautiful sceneries and cinematographies!
✅ Plus points of this drama :
- no depressing misunderstandings, we had a few but they get resolved in the cutest way
- ml being the greenest red flag, this gege with ulterior motive has used every single means to seduce our fl
- beautiful styling (loved all the outfits of fl, so big appreciation to the styling artist who was responsible for deciding and pairing outfits, absolutely loved them)
Tbh, in terms of story, it probably felt like one of those ordinary stories to me, I won't say we had anything new on radar. It was sweet, cute, beautiful, and would be relish to green flag sweet story suckers. So if you are the one who falls in this category of viewers, I would definitely be recommending this!
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The first half is immersive. The secret trick is also reminiscent, the nervous breakdown is the mind of the person, and it is difficult to take what is reality and what is fantasy. Above all, the expression and acting of the character that changes moment by moment is the highest point. In short "Jang Hang Joon" is a medium movie for more, since the elemental composition that compose it contributes significantly in conjunction than individually.
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A true treasure among the BL shows.
I noticed this while scrolling through the feeds, and everyone seemed to like it. I was in the mood for a thriller at the time, so I chose this one.This drama's mystery plot isn't particularly well developed; it felt almost predictable to me. The political aspect of this drama, on the other hand, is extremely well done. If not well executed, it could have been extremely boring. The romance, which often feels unwanted or unnecessary in these types of dramas, is something I really liked in this. This is a one-of-a-kind drama that successfully blends romance and politics without making either feel out of place.
This drama is about twins, Black and White, who have a powerful bond that causes them to feel each other's agony during a near-death experience. Their personalities are as diametrically opposed as chalk and cheese. They were separated after their parents divorced, causing them to lose contact with one another. One day, after returning to Thailand, White learns from Tod, a childhood friend, that Black is in a coma following a brutal attack on him, which rekindled White's connection with Black. He also learns that Black is now a member of a motorcycle gang, and he suspects that one of the members—Gram, Yok, or Sean—is to blame for Black's current state. As a result, he disguises himself as Black and joins the gang to discover the truth.
Although Black appeared to be a little different to everyone, no one noticed that it was another person disguised as Black, nor did anyone know that Black had a twin. Sean seemed to be the most affected by Black's sudden change, as he began to develop feelings for him.
In a BL, usually the supporting characters, as well as the female characters, usually play minor roles. They are used as tools to bring the main characters together or to cause conflict between them. However, in this drama, they each had their own point of view and story to tell. This really impressed me. Except for a few scenes, the characters in this drama are very well developed, and their actions and reactions are understandable. Of course, the characters aren't perfect, but they all have their own unique charms.
Both the main character and the supporting characters did an excellent job. Gun's performance was out standing and so was Off's. They portrayed every emotion almost flawlessly (Of course, nothing is perfect). Gun should be specially appreciated for successfully portraying two characters at a time who are too different to compare. The chemistry between the main leads was a visual treat and is very pleasing to watch. I hope to see Gun and Off together more often in the future. The actors who played Gram, Yok and even the actors who portrayed small roles like Grumpa and Tod were able to meet my expectations. The antagonists too were so well portrayed and this made this drama more appealing and entertaining.
Overall, this is a really outstanding BL that, in my opinion, deserves more attention and love. Almost every aspect of this drama is well-executed. This is a totally unique show that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys BLs, politics, or the actors.
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INVESTIGATION of Invincible Chemistry - Burning Romance
A MUST-WATCH. The enemies-to-lovers slow romance is perfectly executed while not rushing over with the plot. I have watched quite a hand full of LGBTQIA+ series but I find this to be one of the most outstanding and capturing ones, for me personally. Something between the chemistry of First and Khaotung and the cinematography of this series. I´m IN LOVE.If you’re an NSFW scenes hunter, you’ll regret missing this MASTERPIECE. This is one of the first times I've been a bit disapproving of some ratings, at least to the extent of giving this series less than 7 stars. YES, we don´t know much about what is going on but it is a mystery and investigation series, plotholes are basically the fundament of "The Eclipse" to be suspenseful and thus meet higher standards than just a "simple" high school enemies to lovers romance trope.
Story >> 8.5 >> 8.0 >> 8.5
When it comes to high school, more precisely all-boys-high school, LGBTQIA+ Awareness, and Against The System dramas this is a MUST watch! While this plot focuses a lot on the romance of two very different young men, the story also contains and shares some important messages and morals, as well as the mention of George Orwell´s 1984.
Acting/ Cast >> 9.0 >> 9.5
If this isn´t a 9.5, then I don´t know what is considered flawless acting. I´m obsessed with the dynamic between First and Khaotung, it may not change the story much, but it does change the presentation extremely and if it was only based on them, I had given this section a 10-star ranking. Every eye contact between the two of them has such an intensity that it can hardly be compared to any other couple in that industry, in my opinion. I was shocked too when I found myself cheering for their cooperation the most because it was such an unexpected match for me. Khaotung has my mouth literally gaping with his performance because I was only used to him playing cheerful, playful, and goofy characters, and watching him portray Ayan with such dedication, makes me incredibly happy and satisfied. Also, Neo brightens my day whenever and wherever he appears on the screen.
Music (/Production) >> 8.5
You really have to pay a huge compliment to the production and tell them that the effort was worth it and that they should please spoil their employees. Especially the screenwriters and the director. I think that even the intro alone is so much better than most other intros I have seen from GMMTV/GMM25.
Rewatch Value >> 9.0 >> 9.5
This might be one of my best ratings when it comes to the Rewatch Value but this series has become one of my ALL-TIME FAVORITES! I can only recommend it to everyone, except for those who’re only hunting for ND/NSFW scenes, who are missing out on plot quality.
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Love Song In Winter Indeed..
"If you want rainbow.. You have to deal with the rain.."- Augustus
This quote came to mind as I finished the drama.. The ML and FL are each other's rainbow.. And Wen Peng is undoubtedly the rain they must endure.. The first 10 episodes were top notch.. We even got the first kiss in ep 2.. Unlike many dramas this one avoided the usual angst and misunderstandings we often have to endure in the first half.. And the ML?? He crushed the SML every chance he got.. Firmly put him in his place with such nonchalance that it made it even more satisfying.. Little did I know though that this was nothing compared to what was about to unfold.. Compared to the first 10 episodes the next 10 were just good and nothing great.. Once the killings and investigations kicked in the plot began to lag.. The investigation plot initially was poorly crafted.. And the cops they were made to look completely ineffective.. They were literally overpowered by a girl half their size and not just once..
We got a proper villain in LSIW.. WTC was truly outstanding in his role.. I dont know if the villain was overpowered and too smart or if the others were just naive.. He outsmarted them at every turn.. He was a psychopath, A maniac, A madman, Callous and Machiavellian.. I liked how they revealed that the SML could be the villain.. He was initially portrayed as this perfect guy with a troubled childhood but slowly his dangerous side was revealed.. By the end of episode 21 it was clear he was the antagonist.. There were hints from the beginning like the butterfly and other subtle hints..
The FL treated the ML coldly after her friend's death?? Well.. Yes she did.. I felt sorry for him but I dont blame her.. Her behavior might seem immature but it was as mature as it could be.. Both in the past and in the present.. Even the ML realizes this and tells her "Now I understand why you had to do that 8 years ago".. And I honestly think the FLs from both Cdramas and Kdramas could learn a lot from the FL here on how to draw a clear line with the SML.. There are very few characters like her..
That devil of an SML made the FLs life miserable.. He killed two of her friends.. She had to break up with her love.. He tried to kill her mother and soon her boyfriend also almost got killed.. Even amidst all that she stood strong.. Her mental resilience is truly commendable..
Wen Pang’s mother’s identity was a real surprise.. I wasnt expecting that.. Or did I miss the hints?? I liked the mother's character in the first half but by the end she became someone I really disliked..
There is a scene in ep 32 where the ML breaks down.. It felt like a genuine emotional breakdown.. Natural not overdramatic and it fit perfectly within the sequence of events..
" Jiang Chengyi.. Don't get hurt again.. I can't live without you.. "
Everything about the couple felt special..
Read a few comments asking why the villain didnt propose to her in those 8 years.. I think the answer is simple.. He knew she would never love anyone else and that she was waiting for the ML to come back because she believed he would.. Or perhaps because she never truly let him go.. So he had to make her come to him on her own..
The last 6 episodes were good but they were way too slow... Though I didnt mind.. By the end Wen Peng had completely lost touch with reality.. Consumed by his own delusions and obsessions.. He literally killed and hurt everyone close to her and still had the audacity to say "No one will ever love you the way I do"
The interaction between the ML and the antagonist in the last episode didnt make sense.. Was that really necessary after everything he did?? He is being treated as a human being?? And then the ML asks him to meet their mother?? How could he even think about letting her see a psychotic psychopath who manipulates and gaslights people so easily?? As for the mother’s character.. I dont even know what to say.. It felt completely illogical.. Yes she loved her son.. But her psychopath son tried to kill her stepson and Kidnapped his girlfriend.. Killed two of their friends, murdered several others.. And tried to kill at least three cops.. And she keeps saying its her fault?? While her love for her son is clear her willingness to overlook his crimes makes her actions seem more baffling than emotional.. This choice by the writers underplays the cruelties of the SML.. I really wish they hadnt included that scene.. It felt totally unnecessary and probably hurt the show’s ratings..
While the final episode had some unnecessary scenes, it was really good overall.. I mean an entire episode of them being happy after overcoming all their problems?? Kdrama writers, take notes..
Overall.. Despite some slow moments and unnecessary lengthy scenes the drama really pulled me in.. The performances were solid and the chemistry between the leads was undeniable.. The FL was such a standout character and the villain?? He was terrifying.. The ending had its flaws.. Sure but it still gave them the happy ending they deserved.. Is the drama perfect?? No.. Flaws?? Plenty.. But its definitely worth the time and its one i will not easily forget.. Be sure to watch the bts scenes as well.. They were fun..
P.S.. The subtitles are never getting better are they??
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This is so annoying, and so sad.
Like everyone before me already pointed out, the lead actors did a brilliant job here. They are so natural together, it's a pleasure to watch them interact.
But even cute has its limit, at least for me. I didn't know of the writer switch until the last episode, but the difference was evident. What used to be a quirky, funny, sweet and sexy script suddenly turned into a sugary, childish, cutie cute one, with these two chirping to each other for the duration of six, never-ending episodes.
When mutual love has been loudly declared, the lie has come into the open, the antagonists are out of the games, what is left in terms of expectations? Who cares what they eat and when or how many times they hold hands?
Somehow, they used all their good cards at the beginning of the game, only to drag it with uninteresting little scenes till the end. By the third ice-cream I was ready to smear it on the face of the director.
Also, I was left wondering what happened to the majority of the characters? Were they sucked into some drama black hole, or sent en masse to Paris where they are happily eating escargots?
The music was somehow schizophrenic. At the beginning I though it was horrid, with those very childish pop songs used at every turn. Then it improved a lot, it became more varied and able to enhance the feelings. At times it was hilariously chosen. Then it changed again and became a simple background sound, which I forgot a few minutes after it was played.
Re-watch value is obviously low, unless something heavy hits me on the head and I think this drama's only got 11 episodes.
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