Reviews

Love the story, even its kinda mainstream.

I've already watched lots of dramas with the similar vibe. About love story between boss and employee, about company that working in fashion design. And I think this drama is the best. Why?
1st the FL not that desperate, she has her own competence. She know what she wants, and try her best to achieved it. About her love to ML, of course at the beginning I'm sure she should be reluctant, not because she feel insecure, but she know that falling in love with the ML will bring some difficulties, most of all because the difference of their family.
2nd, the ML very sure and sincere about his feeling towards the FL, even there are some doubt in the beginning (because age gap, and trauma from the past) He wants to help her achieved her dreams and gives her space to grow.
3rd, the love scenes between two leads really cute, little bit of jealousy, and lots of love.
4th, the ML and FL clothes are awesome, and make audience believe that they really works in fashion line. The dress they showed in fashion show look very very beautiful.
Okay, now about the second ML, he's a little bit creepy but if we know his background, I'm sure its understandable. About second FL, wooowww she's really blind because of love. Thank God the 3rd FL (2nd ML little sister), is kind. I hope the writer will make her happy and healthy in the end.
So, overall I think this drama is lovable =)

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Head Over Heels...Then Suddenly Flat on my face

“Head Over Heels” had a fantastic start; charming leads, genuine chemistry and a storyline that pulled me in from the very beginning. The pacing was smooth, the emotional buildup felt natural and I found myself truly invested in the characters' journeys. It had all the makings of a solid drama: laughter, growth, youth, friendship, longing and those little fluttery moments that make your heart skip.
But then came the last two episodes and suddenly, everything felt rushed. Plot threads that deserved time and care were tied up too quickly and the emotional weight the story had built seemed to lose its impact (with the time skips especially). I found myself wanting just a bit more closure, a bit more depth.
Still, I don’t regret watching it. It gave me plenty of moments to smile, sigh, and swoon over. The journey was worth it... I just wish the ending didn’t feel like it was in such a hurry to wrap up.

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It was good unti it wasn't

I stumbled upon this drama because I have seen so many clips of it on Tik Tok and decided to check it out. The result is that it didn't disappoint... until it did in the latter half.

- THE GOOD -
1. Acting:
I had seen many of Lee Jong Suk's (Park Chang Ho) dramas, such as W, Pinocchio, and When You Were Sleeping. However, his acting didn't really make me go "WOW" in those dramas. However, it was incredibly good especially in the first half of the drama when his character was in prison but got stale as the drama progresses (after he got out of prison). Nevertheless, it was still tolerable for me. It was my first time seeing him in this kind of role so it was definitely refreshing and I really enjoyed it. This is my first time watching Yoona (Ko Mi Ho) in a drama but I have heard many people saying that she was mediocre. To be honest, I don't really see it. Her acting did justice to the character and it didn't distract me from the main events of the drama.

Apart from our 2 protagonists, the acting of the antagonists was so so so sooooo good, especially in that funeral scene where Kim Joo Heon (Choi Doha) was fake crying and that smirk he gave Park Chang Ho. OMG. Chef's kiss. I love it. Overall, the acting was brilliant.

- THE BAD -
1. Story:
The first half of the drama was what got me hooked! There were so many questions that were unanswered and the biggest one was "Who is Big Mouse?". There were a lot of theories and speculations regarding this and one of my favorites was the theory that Big Mouse was Park Chang Ho and he's just fooling the viewers (breaking the 4th wall). This theory is definitely so much better than the actual Big Mouse reveal (the Room Leader - No Park).

Because Big Mouse is the driving factor of this whole drama, of course when we reveal who the real Big Mouse is, it should be grand right? No. The Big Mouse reveal was so underwhelming that it made me feel that there was more nuance to this, but there wasn't. And then it got revealed that Park Chang Ho's best friend was in the Big Mouse organization too which was totally out of left field because we never learned what the reason behind him being in this organization was. After a disappointing reveal, the great Big Mouse who conned everyone got killed off in like 10 seconds and so Park Chang Ho became the new Big Mouse. What is funny to me is that when Big Mouse wasn't revealed, everyone had a difficult time figuring out the mastermind behind this alias. But when Park Chang Ho became Big Mouse, he was walking around the neighborhood with lines of bodyguards and followers and people bowing to him as if he was parading around that he is the new Big Mouse.

We were introduced to so many plot points prior to the final episodes and so the ending was rushed. It felt as if the drama completely changed its tone after Chang Ho got out of prison - it became dull. The elder was portrayed as someone who got immense power but he was killed off in an instant. The main villain Choi Doha was also killed off too fast and easily so it felt anti-climactic. It would've been better if they followed Vincenzo's route when doing this (iykyk). But then again, this is being posted on Disney+ and Changho is much nicer than Vincenzo so I doubt that would've worked. Miho's death had no impact to it, I was expecting it to be more emotional because she's literally one of the main characters but it felt flat. The final scene went from colours to black & white while Miho's dialogue from wanting to Changho become a good Big Mouse played - this scene was kind of good and it left me with many thoughts like what is the line between wanting to be a good Big Mouse for his wife and becoming a Big Mouse who punishes and kills people, is Park Changho going to become evil, etc.

2. OST:
Personally, I don't know but there wasn't any notable OST in this drama.

-OVERALL THOUGHTS-
Overall, the theories for this drama were far better than the actual plot. I enjoyed it up until the part Changho left prison and the whole new arc began. This drama is worth the binge if you have nothing to watch but don't go into it with huge expectations cause you will get disappointed because of the ending.

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THIS REVIEW IS ONLY BASED ON THIS MOVIE, NOT THAT OF THE ORIGINAL WORK.

***SPOILER ALERT***SPOILER ALERT***
[If you haven't read the novel, watched the TV drama version, and know nothing of the plot and do not want it spoiled for you, then read no further... if that's not you OR you don't care, read on....]

I'm not gonna break my review down by sections. My review is a juxtaposition of the others and how I felt it compared:

The consolidation of scenes, characters, and information in the movie version was interesting. Not horrible, but definitely not 100% true to the original story. Zhen Shao Xiang's personality being consolidated into a combo of him and Cao Guang was kind of abrupt for me. Or KO being the manager of the internet cafe?? Wasn't expecting that. ..putting Hao Mei and KO's story as filler while rolling the credits was kind of dumb. Without "context" you missed the significance of that and it just became some kind of embarrassing moment for Hao Mei. ..frankly, I think they came at this project with the idea that everyone had either read the novel or watched the TV version. There's so much missing that without knowing anything, this movie would feel incomplete.

This Wei Wei is more outgoing than she's supposed to be. That's the aspect of her character that's really important in her connection with Xiao Nai. She's pure, innocent, shy, humble, and doesn't like to draw attention to herself. In this version, she's really not that way at all. She's much more extrovert and dominant, no where near passive. If you like her better this way, it's simply personal preference, but it's not the true character of her as written in the novel. And just as this Wei Wei is more extroverted, and not so shy, this Xiao Nai is a bit more emo and less hard-to-read, badass, cutthroat who was always 2 steps ahead of everyone else.

...and bottom line, what I really want to say, the BROMANCE and the relationship between him and his "brothers" and Wei Wei was really, really, REALLY, really lacking for me int this movie version. For me, that was as important if not MORE important than the romance between Xiao Nai and Wei Wei. I loved the whole "family" feel and it just enhanced their romance all the more. In this version, I just felt wanting; I felt lacking; I was waiting for there to be more of a close feeling with Wei Wei and the "brothers" but, more than half way through they barely had anything to say to each other. It was sad.

The ending was beyond rushed. Not only did they really let us down with anytime with the "brothers" but the whole 2nd part about their company and Wei Wei and Xiao Nai becoming closer to the point of marriage was basically completely skipped over. Not fulfilling for me at all.

My Best Fangirl Moment:
~At 1:32:00, when the Chinese League of Legends team, Invictus Gaming [IG] gets interviewed by Panda TV about the "Young" company of Xiao Nai. Rookie introduces himself and the team. Rookie is one of those South Korean players that the Chinese spent loads of money to transfer to China to play. Then, from left to right, you have Zzitai[top], Kitties[support], Rain[ADC] and another South Korean player, ending with Kid [jgl]... that means obviously that Rookie is IG's midlaner.... I just simply loved this little moment in time!!

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WORST ADAPTION

I’m honestly disappointed with what’s supposed to be an “adaptation.” This version completely strips away the soul of the original work. Watching Kim Dokja lose all his presence and depth was exhausting, and it’s hard to believe the production team even glanced at the source material. If this is what you call an adaptation, then honestly, even Wattpad fanfictions have done a better job respecting the core of Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint.

Let’s talk about the inconsistencies. The Kim Dokja portrayed here feels like a stranger. He would never say “this novel is the worst”—that line alone already betrays his entire worldview. And what’s with the firearms? Both Kim Dokja and Yoo Joonghyuk have extensive knowledge of their world; they would absolutely know better than to use weapons that don’t work.

And one very important trait: Kim Dokja doesn't save people out of kindness. He saves them if, and only if, they serve a purpose in his plan. That’s who he is—calculated, practical, and always thinking several steps ahead.

All these overlooked details make the story feel like a shallow shell of what it could’ve been. It’s not just about “changing things for the screen” it’s about losing the essence that made the original story powerful.

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Mediocre Myth

At outset, the drama starts out as an interesting and pioneering perspective of time travel. With use of new ideas like uploader and downloader, the science-fiction aspect is on par with that of contemporary world of science fiction entertainment.

Along with this, is the backdrop of a nuclear war involving Koreas, it provides an exquisite playing field for proficient storytelling. These themes remind me of the "TENET" movie.

The show is almost convincible scientifically about time travel*. But that's where the spectacle of this show ends. This show has countless flaws.

One, after setting the story, the show becomes more character driven and not plot driven. Thus, giving little scope for further exploring the sci-fi elements or packing it with more plot elements. Viewers are taken through detailed narrative about various side characters. These insights could have been less detailed.

Two, Will over Wits. Almost every scene has some sort of test for characters to make a choice. Almost every character ends up making emotion-driven decisions and not reason-driven. This leads to a countless loop of bad folks coercing good folks to fall into their traps. Countless episodes are wasted in these cat-and-mouse endeavors.

Three, Lack of an alternate answer to the recurring question "Girl or World?" Right in the first instance of asking this question, the answer is undeniably obvious. Yet, the protagonist delays to choose the answer giving a false hope of possibility of an alternative answer. Had this been answered earlier, it would have ended the show quicker.

Four, Romance: The Leads' relationship feels more like comradeship and less like romantic one. If at all it is present, it is not so passionate and intense given their life-threatening circumstances.

Five, the beginning of the time loop. How did all this began that is, the events right before the first loop are hardly explained. I believe that explaining a bootstrap paradox is an unimaginable task.

Despite the flaws, there are a couple of appreciable elements like, One, ambitious production. The initial fights and stunts scenes felt amateurish in CGI. But the events of the future were well produced. The drone chase scene was a personal favorite. Fights scenes were really good, especially the last fight of future timeline. Two, despite the ever looming question of "save the world", the intermittent scenes of future events were very imaginative. Three, Badass FL and Genius ML both bring something unique to the plot. Four, the "Act of Kindness" (without letting the spoiler out), that was the best moment in the entire drama and gave the best "glimmer of hope", an essential feature of the Sci-Fi genre.

Acting wise, both the leads are exceptional. PSH stunt scenes are awe-worthy. Kim Byung Chul does an incredible job. Music wise, I really liked the title music of whizzing sound and the end song. Rewatch value is lower as sci-fi elements are hardly convoluted.

Sisyphus: The Myth is inventive concept but fails in storytelling.
~~
*Logical inconsistencies do exist.

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Dynamic with high intensity caused by a sheer impossible tension between self-control & surrender

Revenge and KDrama obviously go extremely well together. TV productions are full of it. Actually, the revenge-motiv appears to be eternally young, being grippingly re-staged over and over again. "Eve" from the year 2022 is one of them - idiosyncratic, with an unmistakable coat of paint. "Eve" is about a long-planned vendetta against one of the most powerful Jaebeol clans in the land. "Eve" may join a long list of KDramas in the revenge genre. However, this KDrama scores with its very own charismatic aura.

Premise of the revenge-plan against the most powerful: Perfection should be brought down by perfection.
Maximum control should be conquered by maximum control.

If one wants to control life to perfection, what remains is a lifeless, loveless shell. The price of power is transcending one's humanity. The little Jaebeol preschool daughter vividly fights the emotional price of power: she's already learning to play golf, but she's still peeing her pants - she´s overstrained ... Living the Win are her parents and grandparents: feeling and behaving like deities... The perfection of arrogance finds its direct expression in the control, the unscrupulous abuse and the brutal oppression of others. It goes hand in hand with self-control. Yet, the extent of the staging of their 'beauty' and ´perfection´ becomes downright repulsive and turns 'beauty' into its opposite - disgust.

The (dramaturgically chosen) valve grounding the human being in his earthly transient body is the dance. Here especially the tango. Exotic, erotic, heavy, deep, dark. The dance, the rhythm and the music bring you back into your own body. You have to listen to it - in tango to the body of the partner, too. So it's also about perfection here, but it consists of perfectly balancing your own body movements with personal authenticity, feelings and perception. THIS ´perfection´ draws from itself and is not at the expense of others. It culminates in a state of relinquishment of control - an altered state of consciousness. This condition only lasts for the moment of the dance, for the moment of encounter. (The Andalusian flamenco even coined its own term for bringing the dance to perfection: 'Duende'. This concept stands for an almost ecstatic state of consciousness that results from surrendering to the interplay of different brain areas, physical dance technique and emotion.) This moment makes you feel alive - intense, true, pure and innocent.

Throughout the individual episodes the revenge-hungry protagonist (a fantastic So Yae-ji) maintains an extremely high tension between the poles of maximum possible emotional self-control (in the service of the elaborate revenge plan) on the one hand and complete surrender to the sensual, invigorating movements of tango dance on the other. As the dance draws its power and charisma from the depth of the subjective, authentic emotional world, maintaining this tension is almost impossible. In fact the KDrama thrives on this very special dynamic (of the sheer impossible bearing of the tension between self-control and surrender). The result is a consistently high and gripping intensity.

I have read some reviews that accuse this KDrama of the (missing) chemistry of the protagonists or the ending or the resolution of the revenge motive, or even the revenge motive at all. Well, that is of course a matter of taste, too. In any case, I think the motive for revenge suits South Korean authoritarian society. Even today. I also consider the character of Kang Yoon Gyeom being drawn (and acted) extremely well - if the protagonist were sympathetic, open, tangible (and, if you like, more classically attractive), then the relationship dynamics would be more predictable. His repulsive, calculating side suits him. The fact that he is 40 already plus he doesn't really fit the image of classic male love interest suits the role, too. So do those very subtle nuances that reveal his other (touchable, needy) side. He is not extremely likeable. I agree. Yet, thus the provoking relationship with him subtly, unintentionally and unexpectedly develops its own dynamic. The ambivalence - attractive vs. repulsive - comes across quite well in my opinion. A strange chemical mixture, an unknown factor in the revenge plan equation. The reactions triggered by this in turn leads to an ending, that is what it is. ... Either way, revenge NEVER makes you really 'satisfied'. Because the pain of the old wounds or the memory never goes away, and the loss cannot be reversed either. On the other hand, with revenge new karma comes along and is guaranteed to be saddled on top of everything else, which one has to spoon up ... (This is usually overlooked when one sets out to take revenge...)

From my perspective, "Eve" is a haunting KDrama - with a lasting impression for sure.

It might also be worth mentioning:
The staging of the cruelty within the Elite world, their madness as well as the space given for the sexual dimension of the relationship are exceptional for a KDrama. However, these deliberately staged rather animalistic or even archaic aspects of the human species (which are assigned to the evolutionarily older brainstem or reptilian brain) set a sharp contrast to the hypocritical, superhuman self-portrayal of the Jaebeol elite...





---------------------- SIDE NOTE: --- Revenge motive and KDrama - for once wanting to control the elite 'authorities' who otherwise control the rest of the country ---

South Korea (with its comparably recent dictatorship history) is probably one of the places on earth where (perhaps a little bit more than in many other places where rule of law has already gained a somewhat more solid footing) rules still mainly apply to 'simple' people, the masses. The influential Elite, the Jaebeol in particular, namely play their private, own, elitist game. They are isolated from the rest of society. They seem to own the world. They live and rule as they please in their own orbit. When their world collides with the masses, it's annoying, but rarely turns out bad for them. They simply get rid of disruptive factors (or better: let others get rid of them). They enjoy all the freedoms. For them, ordinary people are actually of no worth. They can be substituted. They can be controlled by money or violence.

The state should actually be responsible for objective justice. But 'state' is made up of people. And the less binding the objective rules are handled by these people or the more rules can be bent, stretched and interpreted in favor of the 'perpetrators' from elite circles, the greater the subjective dissatisfaction and the stronger the desire of the 'victims' for vigilantism - the desire for revenge!

However, there is a difference between the desire for revenge/subjective justice and the realistic possibility of actually getting it. For the influential powerful, a few phone calls may suffice. The common people have to be a bit more subtle and sophisticated. Vigilante justice needs to be well planned. Especially if you want revenge on a person from the orbit of the Jaebeol. It costs time and money to be able to penetrate their world at all. In most cases, sworn helpers are also necessary. After all, it is to be expected that the same applies here: a plan is there to be discarded... Not everything can be foreseen. Details have to be improvised. The space for the unexpected can only be calculated with a degree of blurriness.

Against the background of authoritarian South Korean social structure, KDrama and revenge motif often and happily enter into a dramaturgically promising connection. It offers a vicarious valve for the emotions of the many ´victims´ of a corrupt system...

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Made me want to vomit blood

Watching all 59 eps made me feel like I was going through my own tribulation. Honestly, the amount of times people spit out blood in this drama is enough to paint a highway. But that’s not the point. Due to the overwhelming positive reactions to this drama I was excited to watch it. The first few episodes were interesting and the backstory of the God of War was my high point. I was interested to learn more but none of that gets revealed until nearly the end. What I got for the remainder of these 40ish eps was a weak ML who got stabbed more than a pincushion, a stupid annoying FL who is controlled by the worst villain to ever exist, hypocritical “righteous” sects who made me feel homicidal to the point that I ended up rooting for the demons, contrived misunderstandings just to drag out unnecessary plot points and so so so so SO MUCH TALKING! Good lord!

I was not a fan of the leads going in and while they probably did the best they could I feel the FL is miscast. She does not pull off the duality of Xuanji/God of War well. I kinda laughed at how big her hair piece was and the armor was terrible. The ML was also kind of one note due to the character being selfless to a fault. Watching him getting stabbed, poisoned, tortured over and over again got so boring after the millionth time. It made the character feel pathetic and weak and it felt like the only reason he kept living was the thick slab of plot armor they padded him with.

The story went off the rails once the Star of Mosha returned and things turned weird and made me wonder if this was a BL drama all of a sudden. But to be frank, the actor who played Luohuo Judu pulled off his duality better than the FL anyway. When he’s menacing, he’s terrifying but when he goes soft it’s so believable.

I appreciate that the drama focused so heavily on the FL’s backstory and the ML served more of a secondary role to her journey. It’s kind of a nice role reversal but the writing and characterization was just too elementary and sub-par. While there’s a lot of depth to the villains, the main heroes felt so one dimensional. For 90% of the story FL has no agency whatsoever and is manipulated by nearly everyone around her. The only time she takes control is when she turns into the Star of Mosha who just so happens to be a man. Kind of a bad subtext there. The other female characters in the drama revolve entirely around men as well and have no agency of their own. I began to fast forward a lot towards the end. This could have easily been cut short into a 30 ep drama and saved me a lot of time.

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I am a fan of PoT and for me this is an okay drama to watch. If you like the humor and friendship side, this is a good one. But if you like to watch matches, not so great. The bad side of this drama is that most matches are cut shorter and some fillers are draged longer. Matches are based on the manga. Some fillers are created, may be based on the anime. It is quite frustrating if you watch this at the same time as it was aired( I’m Vietnamese so I got to watch it with Vietnamese sub a day later). But as a rewatch, I don’t think it’s that bad. If anyone like shipping, there are hints in this drama, all of them are cute. I’m glad that they kept all the techniques. The actors/ actresses are good, they portray their characters quite well. It’s nice to have a series that is related to PoT.

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As unending as an oath, this drama drags on forever...

This drama is truly a test of love and patience. Your love and patience that is.

After YAMG, I thought we would get another sensible modern drama since, the novel this show is based on received immense praise but sadly, I live to be disappointed.

Yang Zi’s Zhi Xiao is immature and annoying. Her only saving grace is her good choice in a partner, Dr. Gu. The side couples are two-dimensional characters whose life's purpose is to get on your nerves. This drama is a struggle to finish from beginning to end. I had to hug the thighs of the fast-forward button to skip a lot of senseless scenes but Zhi Xiao still managed to annoy me.

The first four episodes were ridiculous but did get better until we were confronted with a father that likes to torture his family. He is a victim of circumstance and ‘woe is he’ but for some reason I could generate no sympathy for his plight.
We are introduced to the second male lead and female leads who try to get in between our main couple’s awfully sluggish love story. Misunderstandings abound and their resolutions like the story take forever while leaving an unsatisfactory aftertaste.

By episode 20 I stopped caring about the storyline and the side characters. The male lead and my unending patience were the only things keeping me watching this travesty. There is a minor rise in interest when the male lead suffers a setback. I was pleasantly surprised with how the female lead stuck to her guns and at the same time supported the male lead. This was probably the only sub-plot where I found her behaviour admirable.

While the plot in romcoms has always been a foregone conclusion, as viewers we watch it for the cast, subplots, setting and dialogues. Unfortunately in The Oath of Love the plot is thin, the pacing highly inconsistent, most conflicts un-engaging, with forgettable dialogues. The female lead was annoying 8 times out of 10 and the narrative became repetitive in the middle phase. I am just glad this wasn’t 40 episodes as my corpse would have to review this drama then.

The only positives in this drama for me were the cinematography, the background music, the lure of a happy ending, the little theatre at the end of each episode and the eye-candy, Xiao Zhan. Unfortunately none of these positives were strong enough to overcome the tragedy that was the drama.

It’s possible that some will like this drama for all the same reasons that I did not. But would I recommend anyone to watch this? No. Unless you are a staunch fan of YZ or XZ and gifted with boundless patience, this drama is not for you. For a middling fan lacking in patience this drama cannot score more than 5.5/10.

You've been warned. Watch at your own risk.

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I've actually finished this drama 10 days ago but somehow I wasn't able to let it go, I wanted it to stay longer in my currently watching list. And that's because I completely loved it. Yes I did. With all its holes, stupid, unnecessary and illogically evil Guo family, with less screen time of the Yin's who were the most important folks in this drama, with some rushed moments that looked like they were cut and with very uninteresting villains. And still it was an amazing journey. Because of those details I couldn't give more but I seriously fell in love with this drama.

The plot seemed very intriguing and engaging right from the start and we follow Liu Xiu's and Lihua's journey through the whole drama, from the moment they find each other after long time through many fights together against the current Emperor and for the people till he finally became an Emperor himself and then with classic palace intrigues, we live the life in palace with them. I wanted to learn and find more about this part of Chinese history as I was interested to hear more about her, about that woman who was a true companion for her man and who became an Empress with humble and pure heart. And it did live up to my expectations.



Let me tell you something about the leads and characters they played. Honestly you don't get to see such fantastic leads often in some drama, who carried the heaviest roles, who acted so believable to the point I literally wanted to wipe off their tears, kiss their foreheads, hug them tightly and smile with them when they were happy, they really engraved in my heart for a lifetime. Lihua and Liu Xiu deserve the title of the best couple ever in whole historical dramaland. I simply couldn't take my eyes off of them. Their relationship that is built on ultimate trust and honesty above all, so strong that nothing could destroy it. I really appreciate that between the couples. I became to feel respect for Liu Xiu cause he treated Lihua with such love and care, with such relaxing and positive attitude, he didn't care when she pretended to be a guy as he didn't care when she stopped pretending because for him she was one and only Lihua who he loved since he was a kid, he loved his men all equally and he trusted them, he wasn't jealous when Lihua was alone with them, the only woman between men and still he had real trust in all of them. For me that was the biggest strength of this drama, one big comradeship, men who fight for one cause and who built such powerful friendship along the way. Really worth seeing and experiencing that.

Not to mention chemistry between our leads, it was electrifying, you could feel it in your bones from their every move and I came to wonder how it's possible that Ruby and Justin are only friends? Amazing actors indeed. Justin has been my favourite Chinese actor since Scarlet Heart but Ruby, I didn't think she was this good, the woman is outstanding actress, that's for sure. Her gracious figure when she was a Lady Yin in the palace, her coldness and calmness when it was needed, her passion and courage in battles, her endless love for her family, she was the actual hero of this drama and she carried all of it. I don't think I've seen till now female character like hers, that much educated, smart, brave, loyal, tomboyish yet feminine, strong yet fragile, lovable yet very strict and someone who was selfless when it came to her family and closest people she loved. The one woman I'll admire forever. Yes in some scenes she exaggerated, all of the sudden she acted weird and not like before, that's when I thought that this drama has some flaws but most of the time I could totally relate to her and understand her.



This drama is also very good cause of the females, you get to see many intelligent and strong women who were most of the times more brave and smart than men which is a rare thing to experience in dramaland. Hu Po, Ding Rou I completely loved, those two girls were such support to our heroine and the ones who were beside her all the time never abandoning her. They are supporting characters but they mean so much, without them this drama wouldn't be the same. I enjoyed in their love stories too, one with Lihua's brother who was such adorable and wonderful guy, and the other one with Gongsun, Liu Xiu's best friend and most loyal general.



What was one of the biggest strength of SaA is family. Bonding between members of a family, between Liu Xui and his brothers, sister and mother, between Lihua and her brothers and mother, between them and Deng's, it was such wonderful sight, watching so many family members being so close and taking care of each other. For me Lihua and her family were the ones that captured me, they gave me feelings of warmness, coziness, feeling of home, I really fell in love with them and their relationship, every one of them had important role and each one of them simply crawls under your skin. I cried so hard when some of them died, I felt like my heart was ripping apart when some events happened and the way they happened, I really think that my heart died a few times during this drama and that's when I knew that this drama will become one of my all time favourite.



Many scenes were so real, battles were done in very good way, effects pretty realistic, sceneries breathtaking with beautiful usage of colours-red, blue and green, astonishing costumes, I wanted so much to try at least one of those dresses, everything seemed really on high level with high budget. For that part I don't have complaints.

Also music, opening and ending songs are so beautiful, the lyrics are among the most powerful I've heard and they have such deep meaning, every time I listened to them I get goosebumps. They fit perfectly with the drama and its plot.



I think I said everything I wanted to say, I think SaA is definitely a drama worth watching cause you don't get to see lead characters like that every day. And you don't get to see relationship building like that every day nor such comradeship and brotherhood. Those things are for sure the ones that will win you and keep you interested to watch it till the end. Despite all the plot holes and some really stupid characters and happenings. I would love for more dramas like this one, please.

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I am spellbound by their magic!!

"Cherry Magic" is a series that has captivated my heart from its opening scenes to the closing credits, weaving a spell that I simply can't resist. The characters, the office vibes, their chemistry, and that slight touch of magic – it's got everything that makes my heart skip a beat.

Warning: Spoilers ahead!!!

It is set up in an office premises. It starts with Achi talking about him turning 30 and how a standard life of 30 year old should be, only to confess that his life lacks all those elements. But to his surprise, he gains magical power of reading people's mind and that's where everything begins. Achi, he is clumsy, under confident and at the same time innocent, extremely adorable and kind but also relatable. Damn I can definitely see why Karan is so whipped for him- I mean who wouldn't be?

Then we have Karan, he is confident, achiever and has the standard 30 year old life according to Achi. But more than that he is whipped for Achi. He is a freaking green forest. He has a secret crush on Achi and he finds everything that Achi does adorable and I don't blame him because I ain't any different. They both are adorable and so is their chemistry. Damn their interactions, subtle touches, glances, those inner monologues, those visions from Karan's imagination, those kisses, those moments, everything, I loved and enjoyed everything.

Let's talk about the real magic of "Cherry Magic" - those lines and moments that hit you right in the feels. Like the line, 'Sometimes I even feel relieved that in a world where I seem to fade into the background, Karan always sees me.' I mean, can we take a moment to appreciate the beauty of this!! And it's not just the words; it's the way they play it out. As Achi looks at Karan when Karan is passing by his seat in the bus, he remembers all the moments with Karan. More so the moment, in the retreat, when he thought no one would want to pair up with him and he just aimlessly, without looking backward, walks backward and collides with Karan's front. Their eyes lock, Karan smiles and the question, "Do you want to pair up with me?" unfolds like a fairytale. Sounds cliche I know but trust me, that moment felt so magical. I was legit smitten by this scene and it's not just a one time thing. I have so many favorite lines and moments- be it that rooftop moments or the beach moment or the pre Loi krathong festival moments or those read my mind moments or those absolutely heart melting video calls. This series is like my happy pill. I have so many favorite moments and whenever I go back to watching it, I am instantly happy.

Talking about the supporting characters, first and foremost I love Pai. She is so cute, charismatic and moreover I feel her. Aaaaahhhh my heart!!! Also, her chemistry with Rock is so adorable. Rock is kind of talkative, funny and cheerful guy and he is whipped for Pai and I am too. Moreover, their confession scene was so so cute. Moving on to Min and Jinta, I love them no less. Jinta, he is a really funny guy. He also gains the magical power of reading minds and the way he was freaking out about it and trying to avoid people's touch, it's hilarious. Moreover, the cat's thoughts really cracks me. And the confession scene of Min and Jinta, it had me rolling and blushing. They are so adorable.

Also, the ost Loudest love, oh my god I absolutely love it. I had it on loop for days. To top it, the ost 'Everything is magic' is Achi's pov and 'Voice within' is Karan's pov , both the mvs are connected and it's so adorable plus ear pleasing. I am absolutely smitten by them.

Highly Highly Highly Recommended!!!!

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Well, that happened.

I enjoyed Fish Upon the Sky, and while I noticed the shortcomings of the acting, both leads had good comic timing, and there were good secondary characters to help carry the weight, plus Pond is gorgeous and Phuwin isn't far behind, so I was looking foward to this - I thought for sure it would be campy fun, with a billionaire heir that everyone is trying to kill having also to get through high school.

Unfortunately, the production takes itself very, very seriously, which makes this a cringey, plot-hole ridden mess of inauthentic emotion and weak acting, and the end result is a series that's alternatively frustrating and boring.

It wants badly to be a PG-rated KinnPorche, but somehow missed the campy outrageousness of that series, which made it's giant plot holes features rather than bugs. Here, everything is a plot hole. The violence is gratuitous, very poorly integrated into the story, and without creating any stakes at all, while leaning heavily on cliches and contrivanaces that are just incongruous and silly.

For example, why is this set in high school? What possible reason for this is there other than "BL needs to be set in school"? Why is a billionaire heir that everyone is trying to kill even in high school? Instead of endangering the lives of the entire student body, why not home school, or just not go to school at all, given he's stupendously rich and has a business empire to run (after he's done with swim practice and his homework)? If he's in danger, why would you give him only a teenaged fisherman as a bodyguard? If you're going to do that, shouldn't he at least be able to protect his charge? Palm can't even fend off bullies at a ballroom dance! (Speaking of which, who goes to a ballroom dance at a senior center to pick fights, and why did everyone just stand around while the ballroom dance thugs [sigh] try to beat someone to death for virtually no reason whatsoever except to insert violence?) Being kicked for half an hour only gives Palm a few scratches, so this is an early indicator that there are absolutely no stakes in this series.

Early on, Neung's mother is gunned down at point-blank range by assassins that simply ride through the open unguarded gates of the mansion - I guess nobody thought to increase security after her husband was gunned down - drive to within 3 meters and open fire. And fail to kill anyone or even wound Palm's father (I think. He seemed totally fine afterwards). The boys are sent to a fabulous beach resort to "hide" for their safety, where they frolic all day and Nueng proclaims he's never been happier in his life. Never been happier than the week after he had both his parents gunned down before his eyes and is fleeing certain death? OK, I guess we all have our standards of happiness, and he never gives his mother a thought during this time, so maybe he just doesn't like her.

There is absolutely no plot purpose to the entire beach resort section of the story - it's simply a contrivance to give the couple a honeymoon, because that's where it goes in the formula, whether or not it makes sense. From the wreckage of the underlying novel behind the script, it looks like the author's intention was to put Nueng through hardships which harden and mature him so that he can return and take on his enemies, but all he does is pay off a loanshark and let Palm's mother sacrifice herself to save them after Nueng completely stupidly uses an ATM and then doesn't immediately leave, allowing the baddies plenty of time to stealthily sneak up with a bunch of thugs dressed all in black at a beach resort walking around with photos loudly asking "has anyone has seen these two boys?" Sigh.

Nueng then dumps Palm with the "find a good woman who you can be happy with" cliche which makes me want to BURN THINGS DOWN. Then they get back together because Palm does the "nonconsensual hug from behind" stupid cliche which makes me want to burn more things down. Then Nueng dumps him in his sleep - sleep induced by pills Nueng buys from the sleeziest and shadiest sex motel manager he could find and then puts in Palm's beer. Sure, why not? Nothing could go wrong with that plan. Besides, Nueng is rich, so he could buy his way out of a charge of negligent homicide. Later on it's Palm's turn for a contrived breakup - the third time's the charm, right? I don't know about you, but if you break up three times for completely stupid reasons in the first month of your relationship, are you really meant for each other?

Anyway, Nueng goes home surrounded by bodyguards, and the story more or less picks up where it left off, which raises the question, what are the stakes? Why didn't Nueng have bodyguards before? If it was that easy for a high school kid to seize control of a giant business empire, why didn't he do it before, when he had Palm's father to lean on and help and guide him?

Then, the authors seem to think that walking in slow-motion, speaking in a deeper voice, and being stern is "maturity", when his underlying behavior is foolish, ungenerous, short-sighted, and otherwise stupid. If you want to seize power, do you march around in dark suits and make grand entrances everywhere and go out of your way to announce yourself and your intentions and humiliate and anger your enemy, or do you take him by surprise?

Anyway, Nueng makes a grand slow-motion entrance to his family's hotel accompanied by that "inception blast" - you know, that loud BWAAAAAA! that plays in movie previews whenever something big happens, in order to lend it weight. So he does that, gives a dressing down to his usurping uncle, and announces he's taking power over the family empire. So what's the next scene? The exact same BWAAAAAA! slo-mo entrance... at his high school. Wow, big man, intimidating high school students with hired bodyguards.

From the moment of his return, everything "meaningful" he says is accompanied by the BWAAAAA!, a musical "mic-drop", as if that gives gravitas to his banal pronouncements. Then he's reuinted with Palm at a derelict building - it turns out Palm has been following him around from about 5 feet away for two weeks, which somehow Nueng's guards failed to detect (and so did Nueng) - because a tall, smoking-hot man dressed all in black and a leather jacket every day in tropical weather isn't noticeable or anything. Also, a photographer follows them into the building, again slipping past the bodyguards. I don't think a single bodyguard managed to guard even one body the entire series.

There are lots of other things that just ring untrue, major and minor. For example, someone suffers multiple gunshot wounds. So what does his boyfriend do? Apply pressure to the wounds to limit the bleeding, you might guess? No, he does what any responsible adult does wth a crying baby, and shakes him vigorously and demands he be OK. I suppose it could be an act of love to try to accelerate his bleeding out so he doesn't suffer, but in that case it might be faster to just shoot him a few more times, Almost comically, it turns out the gunshot victim has a spinal injury - yeah, no sh$%, someone was violently shaking him. I suspect our instinct to staunch bleeding is exactly that, instinct - we've evolved to just automatically know to do that. His behavior is only understandable in the context of some sort of narcissistic psychotic disorder - fear of being alone overpowers basic instinct - perhaps to be expected in a person who has the best time of his life right after his parents are gunned down.

And can someone PLEASE explain the Christmas carols. It's very diffiult to concentrate on what's happening when Joy to the World is playing in the background. Why does this keep happening in BL?

Phuwin is good at comedy, but his lack of acting ability is glaring in a dramatic role where he has to play high school Michael Corleone (The Godfather is the clear inspiration for this series - from the romantic exile to the hospitalized parent in danger, to the son who wants nothing to do with the business eventually being forced to take it over and become ruthless. Well, ruthless-ish). This is underscored by the poor casting choice of Perth Tanapon as his cousin Chopper - poor, I say, because Perth is so phenomenal that it's embarassing to see them together in a scene. If he and the also-able Chimon had been in the main roles, instead of criminally underused secondary characters, this series would have been on fire. As it is, the dynamic between Chopper and his father is the most compelling element of this drama and should have been given much more time (Chopper's father is played by super-hot Nat Sakdatorn - they had strong chemistry. They should do an age-difference romance).

In the first few episodes Pond surprised me - he seemed much improved in acting skill, but then he just spent the entire series looking like a kicked puppy, which he does well, but it gets dull.

This is not all bad. The production quality is fairly high, Pond and Phuwin spend a LOT of time in swim trunks, which is good eye-candy, Perth, Chimon and Nat nail every scene they're in, and there are cute scenes between Nueng and Palm, although their romantic chemistry is close to nil, they do have great buddy-energy. If you're a Phuwin & Pond fan, you will probably enjoy this. Otherwise, I'd skip it.

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