Messy at First, But Trust Me, It Gets Better
I went into this drama with mixed feelings, because let’s be honest, superhero comedy is not exactly a genre K-dramas have a good track record with. But I decided to push through because it’s from Extreme Job writer and Dr. Romantic director. And surprisingly, the drama slowly won me over.The first few episodes did not fully convince me, the pacing is draggy and the character writing occasionally leaned too much into caricature territory. The humor felt a little too chaotic at first and the trio’s antics might honestly be too loud and messy for some viewers. I genuinely dropped my rating for the story by two whole points because of how exhausting the characters initially felt. But the saving grace was honestly Cha Eun Woo’s deadpan and exasperated reactions toward them. His expressions were so relatable to what I felt that it made me realize the trio was intentionally written to feel overwhelming and chaotic at first. Looking back now, it’s obvious those earlier episodes were important for setting up the worldbuilding and emotional foundations of the story.
And once the drama starts picking up by the end of episode 3, it genuinely becomes difficult to stop watching.
The emotional stakes get stronger, the character dynamics start clicking naturally, and the trio slowly becomes oddly lovable in their own messy ways. No one here feels completely one-dimensional, not even the villains, and that is largely thanks to the actors carrying the material with passion and sincerity. I really have to give credit to director Yoo In Sik because the direction is genuinely excellent. The blend between emotional moments and absurd comedy is handled so smoothly that the drama never feels overwhelmingly heavy despite touching on darker themes. It understands exactly what kind of show it wants to be: chaotic, emotional, stupid, ridiculous, but ultimately warm-hearted.
Acting-wise, I think the writing initially did Park Eun Bin’s character a disservice because her portrayal feels almost too exaggerated in the beginning. But once you settle into the drama’s tone and genre conventions, her performance becomes incredibly endearing. As expected from a Daesang-winning actress.
But the biggest surprise to me was Cha Eun Woo.
For the first time, I genuinely felt both the restraint and ease in his performance that I’ve never fully seen from him before. In his previous works, there was always this visible tension in the way he delivered emotions. But here, he finally breathes out, his reactions feel seamless and natural. What surprised me even more was how emotionally important his character became. Somehow, the story slowly turns into something very Cha Eun Woo-centric emotionally, and honestly, HE PULLED IT OFF. His arc became the emotional anchor of the series, especially toward the ending of episode 5 and throughout episode 6. HIS PERFORMANCE GENUINELY CAUGHT ME OFF GUARD. I can now honestly say that he has become a really good actor. It also helps that he’s really nice to look at too and it genuinely cracks me up every time he gets beaten up by Park Eun Bin.
Special mention also goes to Kim Hae Sook and Son Hyun Joo because veterans will always remain veterans, though I do think the drama underutilized them slightly. And the actresses playing the villains were absolutely fantastic too. It’s obvious the production team took the casting seriously because there’s genuinely not a single acting hole in this cast.
As for my favorite scenes for the whole series, I have to hand it to Choi Dae Hoon “The Shining” parody and the giant inflatable onion mascot sequence. His comedic timing is genuinely incredible.
Overall, despite its messy start, this drama eventually grows into a surprisingly heartfelt, funny, and emotionally engaging watch. It asks viewers to be patient during its earlier episodes, but once it finds its footing, it becomes RIDICULOUSLY charming.
Highly recommended. Would definitely rewatch.
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STORY:
The story is one of the strong points of this drama. I rarely watch a drama without skipping at least a few minutes, but there was no need to do that with this one. Entertaining things and characters were going on everywhere and at all times. There are plot holes and very strange moments where something really weird happens, but I found out that 4 episodes worth of material were cut from the aired TV version and the cut material would've made everything make more sense. Overall though the beginning and middle of this drama were almost flawless and the story flowed well and kept you watching... even in the middle of the night XD If the cut material had been included the end part of the drama would've been excellent as well.
ACTING/CAST:
The cast was also great! I especially enjoyed the main actors. Huo Wallace (Bai Zi Hua) did a wonderful job portraying a godlike, statuesque man suffering constant inner turmoil. It is too bad that I don't think his real voice is used in the drama, but I guess this is often done in Chinese dramas. Zhao Zanilia (Hua Qian Gu) was the first female character I've encountered that managed to pull off that perfectly "innocent" & "pure" woman that is so often portrayed in Asian dramas, without being the least bit annoying. She also made her character feel strong at the same time. The supporting cast was also great and certainly offer the female viewers some good options in the male department ;)
MUSIC:
I enjoyed most of the music. Especially the end credit song was a really melodramatic ballad that built the mood of the entire series. There were also some really nice flute themes played throughout the drama that helped you immerse yourself in the story.
REWATCH VALUE:
I've read that there will be a DVD version of the series that will have all the material that was cut out. I will definitely watch this entire series when I get my hands on that DVD... especially since I know that most of the things cut out were cut because they were too risqué! ;)
OVERALL:
You might think that this series does not deserve a 9/10 since they sort of butchered a lot of their good work by cutting out important scenes, but still I was glued to my screen until the very last moment and this series opened the world of Chinese dramas to me. Some of the special effects are terrible, but I don't think they took away from the storytelling. Watch the first episode and you should know if this is for you or not!
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2A love story that transcends time and space.
In a xianxia romance that spans multiple lifetimes and universes, When Destiny Brings the Demon chronicles the journey of Liao Tingyan as she is unwillingly transmigrated into a fantastical realm of immortals and demons. Blindsided by her abrupt displacement, she attempts to carve a quiet and lazy life for herself here — but fate has other plans. Against her wishes, she falls under the mercy of the notorious grandmaster, Sima Jiao, who is said to have a cruel heart and fiery temper. However, through their forced coexistence, she learns that beneath the lord's hotheaded exterior, he is a complex and lonely soul.The initial episodes are weighed down by an influx of info dumping, but bear with it, because your patience will be rewarded with one of the sweetest love stories to emerge from cdramaland this year. Liao Tingyan and Sima Jiao's chemistry needs to be studied. From enemies, to servant and master, to friends, to lovers — their relationship develops fast but believably so. In a world where they are both outcasts and no one is to be trusted, they are drawn to each other. Passionate, angsty, selfless — I find myself gushing over all of their tender moments, and there are so many of them. You will laugh, cry, rage, and fall in love with their love story.
The actors, Wang Ying Lu and Arthur Chen, are sensational in these roles. In less capable hands, Liao Tingyan would have come off as annoying, considering how passive and meek her character started off as. Instead, Wang Ying Lu is able to make Tingyan relatable, funny, and endearing. She effortlessly transitions Tingyan from a damsel in distress into a force to be reckoned with — someone who not only can protect herself but her loved ones as well. Arthur Chen is also perfectly casted as Sima Jiao, brilliantly portraying his loneliness, pain, and rage in a way that brings justice to the character. Watching Sima Jiao's growth from a man who is suspicious of everyone into a man capable of compassion, trust, and forgiveness because of his love for Tingyan is as healing for him as it is for me to watch. The performances of these actors moved me and I have a new profound respect for the both of them.
Aside from the characters, there are also so many other things to love. The cgi is gorgeous and it adds so much vibrancy and personality to this world. The visual impact would not have been as memorable without it. The osts are haunting, marvelously complementing the story and elevating every scene to a new level of enjoyment. I constantly hum the melodies even when I'm not watching the drama and thinking about the music evokes a strong feeling of longing for the characters and their stories. The fight scenes are riveting — it is obvious how much thought and intentions the director and action choreographers put into those sequences.
My two biggest complaints are probably that the plot was secondary to the romance and the pacing was very slow at times. There are moments in the drama where the romance will be developing with ease, but the plot isn't moving at all. The conflicts in the first half of the story are repetitive, stalling the plot. Personally, I feel the drama could have been reduced to fewer episodes to create an even more engaging story. However, I recognize that this will cut back on some of the romantic scenes, and this will be a great loss for the drama since the romance is such an important factor in the story. Therefore, I am able to overlook the drama's weaknesses in this respect.
After finishing When Destiny Brings the Demon, I am only left with positive feelings of love, admiration and satisfaction for the story. Given the genre and the censorship placed on dramas with transmigration, I couldn't have asked for a better ending. The writers neatly conclude the story with no loose ends. It is definitely a love story that transcends time and space, worthy of experiencing, and I highly recommend it for the romance lovers.
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novel andhad changed me this is what I have to say…NOT WORTH YOUR TIME.
If you had to describe this so called ‘adaptation’ it’d be disgrace, a joke, and ew. Everything had changed and it’s still being called an adaptation? Did the original source came from the copy ver of TWSA?? lol. Huge disrespect to fans world wide don’t watch it unless you wanna make fun and laugh trust me if they changed whatever they wanted, they would change everything but since this is a fan need, they had to do this? Which is far more worse I rather have not a live action from whoever directed this lol.Was this review helpful to you?
Let me tell you straight up other than having the same genre as Mystic Nine(and same Lt.Zhao) there is nothing similar of TM to Mystic Nine at all. This is a masterpiece compared to Mystic Nine and I can't believe that people don't talk about this more. I have seen that those who have watched both Mystic Nine and this always prefer this over it but it's only that minority.
The main reason for this to actually be better is the full fast paced story line with completely lovable characters. Starting from our MC Guo De You, he was simply amazing. He had everything I loved in my MCs. He was fine mix of intelligent and mischievous and was hilarious to boot. This was my first time watching Li Xian and now I'm an official fan of him. Having watched Medical Examiner Dr.Qin and Only Side by Side with you just for him I can't wait to see him in Go Go Squid too(which is I'm impatiently waiting for cuz it's based on one of my favorite books). Next we have Mao Ding. He was the perfect Dr.Watson to our Sherlock. Being a rich son didn't make the least annoying, he had his own agenda but that didn't mean he totally rebelled either. He cared enough for his company when needed. Next up is my favorite in the whole story, Gu Ying. I swear I didn't love female MC as much as I loved since Zheng Shuang in Love o2o. Despite the little knick of hers to totally follow Guo De You, this girl was the best. Not that I'm comlpaining about that either. She was the perfect badass leading lady we needed. She had so much spunk that I felt even if they put Guo De You and Mao Ding together they can't fight as well as her. She was hilarious to boot too. I saw few people complaining about her clothes but man I loved every single one of her outfits. That girl rocked them. I mean not everyone can have a freaking bird nest on top of their heads and make it look bad ass. Our second leading lady Xiao Lan Lan was the perfect rich girl and once again like Mao Ding she didn't act the spoilt rich girl. She had her own strengths and pulled similar weight of the group. Not only these character shone on their own but when you put them together in one screen, the chemistry was off charts. Each character fit with the other perfectly, The bromance, the romance (or lack of it) was perfect. Each adn every character added something to the story to make it amazingly balanced, from the ineffective police head to Master Guo to the Head Shaman to even Chairman Ding.
Talking about the story, like I told before it was fast paced and didn't leave the audience hanging even for a second. For me every single scene was engaging and believe me after having more than a decade of experience of watching all Asian dramas this is a first where I didn't skip even a second of a drama. The mystery kept me guessing even till the last moment and you won't believe what kind of secrets come up in the episodes at all.
The cinematography was also perfect for the tone of the series with a dark, aura being around through out the drama with perfectly balanced colors here and there. The republican China was adapted better here for me than that of Mystic Nine and we don't see the normally seen parties and high end houses but we get to see the more street life giving this a nice touch. The clothes were on point and I loved how different the four were in their own statuses.
And can I tell that I love the ending song. Jam Hsiao did an amazing job with that and it perfectly blended with the whole series.
This is also the first time I have written such a big review to a drama and first time I've given a complete 10 for everything. Another first fir me was rewatching the whole thing as soon as I finished it. I opened up a netflix account just to watch the rest of the drama. Take my word for this and do not miss this drama. Have no doubts when watching this drama. You will not regret it even for a second. Now patiently waiting for second season as I've heard rumors that it's been green lit. Hopefully the full cast returns for at least 4 episodes to give us closure for that open ending.
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turning unhappiness into happiness
Overall: the focus was on two characters who weren't happy with their current situation in life and how they figured out how to change things. I haven't read the source material and am basing my review on the live action series only. 6 episodes about 25 minutes each. Aired on GagaOOLala https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/4033/perfect-propose-2024-e01 ; re-released on Viki https://www.viki.com/tv/40542c-perfect-proposeContent Warnings: non con touching/hand job maybe turned consensual?, workplace harassment/bullying
What I Liked
- a forthright character
- sweet moments
- supportive colleagues
- realistic how it is difficult to get away from a toxic work environment, even when a person knows it's unhealthy
- production value
Room For Improvement
- the dub/non con was not needed and could have been handled differently
- had the aggressive pursuer/reluctant pursuee (and by reluctant I mean unwilling, he verbally stated his boundaries only to have them steamrolled over)
- too much time spent in the office setting/that jerk boss
- the intro vibe was super fluffy but that was not the overall tone of the series, we also never see any of those fluffy scenes which was a bit disappointing
Age Info (I didn't put an age gap content warning because I don't think it's needed, but here's the age info thanks to a commentator :)
- in the past, their ages were around 11 and 17
- in the present, their ages are 21 and 27
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JUSTICE WILL NEVER LOSE ITS GLORY IN DARKNESS
Maybe the best quote for us, Mo Du fans that represent the cruel path happened to Justice in the dark, which was abruptly stopped from airing at 2023 and started again at 2025. Because of the best production team and best cast members, best script, best loyal fans, and so many other bests which I can’t mention one by one, Justice in the dark stay strong and finally finished all 30 episodes. Please ignore all haters and negative comments and keep watching it from the start to the end. I am sure you will love it. You will love the actors, the acting, the cast, the music, and everything else. I give it a perfect 10 of 10. And in the near future I will watch it again and again.Was this review helpful to you?
A beautiful harmony made possible with great music and chemistry between the leads.
- STORY [6.5/10] -The story is very cute and fluffy. However, it's pretty short, so the story had to be crammed into 8 short (10 min) episodes which made the pacing feel a bit rushed, but it's definitely understandable since K-BLs are fairly new, and it was filmed during the pandemic.
The story had a lot of potential to be great but it was cut short due to the short duration of the episodes. But if it was longer, it could've shown more on Insoo's side, family and background, since most of the story we're seeing on Sang Yi's POV.
But one thing I really enjoyed about this short drama is that it gets straight to the point and there's no unnecessary drama, every scene was important in progressing the story and the relationship between the leads. I also liked how it showed some realistic aspects of debuting as an artist and what it means to be a real artist (not doing it just for money or fame, but doing it because you're passionate about it and you enjoy it).
- ACTING / CAST [8/10] -
The entire cast played their roles well, and there's amazing chemistry between the leads everytime they interact. There's hardly any awkwardness at all, and the expressions and acting of the two main leads were great considering it's their first time acting.
(Fun Fact: Before filming, the leads spent over a month doing almost everything together like eating, working on the music) - Source: Wish You Talk Live
- MUSIC [9.5/10] -
The music is really the star of the show and the focus next to the romance. The OSTs all sound amazing, and after you hear it, you would probably want to add it to your Spotify and keep listening to it for a while. The duet especially just sounds amazing (sang by the leads btw, they are both Kpop artists).
- OVERALL [8/10] -
S. Korea has yet again produced abother great BL drama, there's definitely flaws, but it's still great nontheless. It's a story you should watch at least once. Give it a try, you won't regret it!
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In the earlier episodes I felt MG did a terrific job on basing it off of the manga. It's expected that there has to be some variation, but most of it, I felt, was right on. As the show progressed, MG started to develop into it's own story. Not to say that it drifted far off, but events were done differently. Through it all, I felt the actors did a good job as the characters. Dao Ming Si's character acted like the original Domyouji, with minor differences. Shan Cai's character was bull headed like the original Tsukushi, hiding her own true feelings even from herself. The rest of F4 was portrayed well.
When I first started watching this show and saw F4 I wasn't sure how I was going to like them. Dao Ming Si and Hua Ze Lei fit Domyouji and Rui well, but I wasn't sure about the other 2. Mei Zuo as Mimasaka even fit, but Xing Men took me a while to get used to. As Nishikado, he looked different. But at the end I found myself liking him as his character. True I liked the japanese F4 better, and even Kim Bum as Nishikado better, but for the Taiwan version he played his part well.
They only had 2 songs in this drama, the opening and the ending. The opening song "Qing Fei Te Yi" (Can't Help Falling In Love With You) they played throughout the drama. It might just be me, but the song didn't get on my nerves.
For a drama that came out in 2OO1, I thought it was really good. You have to keep in mind while watching it that it came out 1O years ago, so of course fashion and technology is going to be different. The cell phones aren't as advanced as they are now. The filming for the show isn't as high quality as it is for new shows. That aside, I think it's a show worth watching. I really think that if I hadn't of seen the Japanese and Korean version I would've liked this drama a lot more. Because this was the last one that I watched, and I'd already read the manga, I found a lot of it predictable. The ending I felt was cute. I'm not sure if I'll watch the 2nd season yet, I'm still debating.
Ohh another thing I liked about this drama was how it included characters such as QingHe (Kazuya in the manga) who were eliminated in the other dramas.
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This review may contain spoilers
IF ALL CHARACTERS CAN BE MASS MURDERED FOR AN UGLY PLOT, THIS SHOW WILL BE THE PRIME EXAMPLE.
I’ll analyse characters with my perspective for you, because there is no plot. Only assassinated characters. This will be my review.1. YEONG RYE:
uhmmm…. sigh! I liked her so much as the drama began. But I’m telling you she feels like this two-faced green flag wrapped not so green flag. Do you get it? It’s more like, to her, Jeong Hui’s sacrifices never mattered. On the surface she missed her. Inside she didn’t like how JH came back for her friendship and love. I get that YR and Jae Pil have now become closer but she freakin KNEW that her best friend liked him and he liked her as well. You broke the girl code dude. Could’ve not longed for his love when she got to know that they both liked each other or at least, when JH left because of you!!
I’m not saying that just because JH has done so many sacrifices, now YR must be grateful to her till eternity and clean her feet or something, but YR could’ve really chosen not to still harbour feelings for her best friend’s boyfriend. Her own feelings were more important than anyone else’s. She said goodbye to her first love, but never truly did. On the surface she sacrificed, but never really did. Felt like a show. And I think there are many such things like that. MISS KOREA!!! It was your friend’s dream all along. You knew it. No, the scholarship excuse doesn’t suffice.
YR’s character felt so shallow. I felt like she is something, but was portrayed to look like something else. Just because she is the FL the writers wanted her to look nice at the end, so they made JH the bish. But to me, YR felt like the real problem here. The writers just forcefully tried to install that she is the HERO. But it felt like a hollow well.
2. JEONG HUI:
What is she? God’s most unfavourite child or something? Like bro… is she even human at this point? Sacrificing her most important life choices left and right as if she is Jesus or smthg. Didn’t girl start off as someone who has a backbone? Now the writers don’t want her to become a bigger emotional ride on people’s minds cuz she is not the FL, so they turn her arc and make her the villain? What in the world??? SHE EFFIN DESERVES HAPPINESS!!! Tell me one character in this huge ahh casted drama that would choose JH over everyone else? Girl is like STRONG STRONG to choose these people over and over. She DESERVES the best…. away from all these people and drama. And gorforsaken for once she blurted her trauma, she is made to look like the villain? Everyone blames her and looks at her like she is guilty? Ew… they were never her people and she gave away everything she had for these very people. SAD.
3. JAEP PIL:
He is not the red flag. Sure. But definitely someone who feels things just for the sake of feeling things. All the bond that he shared with JH meant nothing to him. He was fully aware that she she still liked him before she had to leave everything and go. So now no feelings, bye???? Then YR. He wants her because he wants to pay back for what she has done to him and his family. More like repayment of loan with interest than love. It’s like he ticked boxes. We are compatible because I don’t eat tomato, she takes mine. Okay. She took care of my father. Okay. She loved me first. Okay. All boxes ticked. And then, oh competition! I must win. So let’s repay and win??? If this is real life, I swear they’ll get separated sooner or later because there was never love from his side. When the repayment is enough, there will be nothing left. I felt bad for YR in this thing because she deserved love. Not a conditional clause.
4. JEONG HYUN:
??? What happened to my Mr. Cool? His character had so much potential. But because he was not casted for the main lead, he shall suffer. No other reason. Character development what? This is character deterioration. Man had seven years to get closer to YR. He went away? Why? I understand JH for being away for seven years, but what reason did this man have? He loved her but didn’t put the effort at the right time. Anyway, his character felt like he was being reduced just because he is not the male lead.
5. YEONG SIK:
Consitently the only good guy. Bro doesn’t lift a finger tho. Never goes and puts efforts to get the girl. He just waits until she gets exhausted and comes to him. IDK if I had to feel good for him waiting and helping her when no one is there or bad because he never actively took the stand to show his love. He is just there in the background eating popcorn. He’s like- “Tell me when all of this drama is over. Things will fall in their places. I don’t have to do anything.” What in the ‘Eat Five Star and Do Nothing’ is this??? But I can never hate him. I felt like he was the only consistently been character out of the plethora of them. I only wished that he got involved a bit more.
6. MA SEONG CHEOL:
Play that ‘Eh? Eh? Ehhhhhh??? Ehhhhhhhhh!!!’ sound please. So much happened with this guy, but no one knows why it happened because it was never shown. I loved his character in the first half, it brought all the fun. But again, bro was sidelined. Then they came up with a new story for him. And no fly was convinced. How did he go from loving one woman to the other? It was only iterated that he likes taking care of the child so now he wants to take care of the child’s mom. The end??
SUMMING UP:
Worst plot. All characters are assassinated for the leads to get their ending- a story which doesn’t make sense. Waste of a beautiful cast and potential packed actors. Love you Dami and Shin Ye Eun. This drama can’t overpower my love for you. lol. This drama is more frustrating than healing. Didn’t expect this ridiculousness from a writer like her.I would rate it lower if not for the actors working hard and doing their job and the first half of the drama where the friendship between YR and JH was actually celebrated unlike the second half where all essence of the drama is lost for Hero making rubbish plot. I finished it just because I began watching it. Sick ride. Never recommend.
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Loved the realistic portrayal of the OB/GYN profession
A reviewer wrote that the show wasn't realistic. I totally disagree. I was a surgical technologist for 7 years, and the show is in fact quite realistic in almost everything, particularly the OR scenes. The only parts I found questionable was the open sharing of medical information and the huge c-section incisions, they're usually much smaller than what was portrayed. Not sure what the law says about patient privacy in South Korea but in the US talking about medical information with random people is a big no. Otherwise, I found the medical part super accurate. Everything from intubation scenes, blood transfusions, and even the scrub tech was legit. Also the scenes about how important it is to get a HPV shot to prevent cervical cancer was surprising! Cervical cancer is super preventable. Get your HPV vaccine and Pap smear. I worked at a teaching hospital for a few years, and yes interns and first year residents are absolutely clueless and chaotic. Had a few pass out right in the OR, had others almost stab surgeons in the middle of emergency surgery, and other such nonsense just like in the show. I also absolutely loved the realistic portrayal of what it's like to give birth. The show showed many realistic depictions, of what happens during childbirth and what women go through. No medical show in the US would ever show such accurate scenes. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the show and was never bored.Was this review helpful to you?
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Disappointed! Could've been much better...
The screenwriter must be a teenager in her mind who's still living in her fairyland!There's no way a grown-ass woman in her perfect mind would write this cringe dramatic nonsense.
If we ignore the fringes, the basic plot of the story is as follows: Ten years ago, a boy was being bullied at school, and his father noticed but couldn't say anything as he was working on the roadside.
This irritated the youngster, who despised his father's profession. After a while, an older sister arrives with an advertisement featuring the boy's father. After seeing the commercial, he realised how vital his father's job was to society. The youngster had a crush on her since she created this lovely advertisement for his father, which allowed the boy to reconnect with his father. They met again after ten years, and the boy wanted to make friends with her, but as time went on, they gradually became more than just friends.
One day, suddenly, the boy's mother discovers about her son's relationship and tries to break them apart as she thinks her child isn't good enough and might suffer in the future as the couples don't belong to the same class in society.
Surprisingly, the boy received his father's complete support and resolved to prove his mother wrong in order for her to embrace their relationship.
After a few months, the boy achieves professional success while maintaining a harmonious love life, prompting his mother to finally accept their relationship.
The end.
A 36-episode drama could've wrapped up within 10 episodes easily, but the rest of the episodes were unnecessary fillers that dragged the plot beyond a tolerable point.
The plus point of this drama that forced me to engage with it was the chemistry between the leads.
The chemistry was deep and mature, which was actually what I was craving from the show.
A solid 7 out of 10 is what I'm capable of rating it.
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Saved from a summer slump
Good enough series, saved by the story, its strong supporting cast ( mother, teacher and friends) and slice of life setting.Not everyone can make a good modern drama, very weak acting wise ( ml was exceptional in Blossom so I guess that mysterious cold look works better for him). Personally not a great fan of one problem after another kind of trope and typical cliched cp, repeating issues etc without any character growth and story progression.
However, an easy going light watch, run in the background kind of acceptable production, saved from a summer drama slump.
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This review may contain spoilers
Typical Japanese BL
STORY:I wanted to like this to be honest I really did. Japanese BL is what got me into the BL industry to begin with. The problem is I feel like Japan has not kept up with the current BL trends. I know that most of the BL produced in Japan are based off manga but something needs to change.
The entire premise of this show is about two people who are forced to work together and develop feelings along the way. Good concept that I have seen executed well in the past. This show did not. Both of the male leads were emotionally constipated. If they had opened their mouths and said what they thought and felt things would have been better. Further if Kaburagi had taken the time to get to know Onoe's previous work then he wouldn't have had such a freak out near the end of the show.
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ACTING/CAST:
Kimura Keito as Onoe Satoshi - I think Kimura did a good job at his portrayal of Onoe. Like most leads of Japanese dramas he was over the top and loud. That didn't bother me. What bothered me is that they left most of his character development to the last 3 episodes of the show. I would have liked to see what he went through before he was assigned to work with Kaburagi. I felt like the audience would have understood his motivations better that way.
Yamanaka Jyutaro as Kaburagi Motoharu - Yamanaka played his role well too. He is your typical stoic Japanese man who shows no emotion and keeps his thoughts to himself. While it can be entertaining to watch it is frustrating for the common audience. Unlike other shows with this type of lead he didn't really have any micro expression or backstory alone that we saw where he struggled with his feelings.
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RELATIONSHIPS
Kaburagi x Onoe - This relationship was dull. It reminded me a lot of the relationship in SOTUS. Where we are struggling for half the show on a do they don't they have feelings train. If they had been honest with each other then we could have developed into an amazing show of them working and loving each other as they uncovered these scandals. To be honest half the time I felt like I should fast forward through their interactions because it was so slow.
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REWATCH VALUE
I may rewatch again if I am bored on a Saturday and want something in the background.
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The series started out interesting and was enough to keep you invested for the next. I was excited but then the “let’s lie, it’ll be best” event comes along and you realize there’s a train wreck ahead. I for one am not a fan of movies or series of any kind that has the foundation of it all build on the lie. I’ve said it before I feel like I’m watching the whole time waiting for a big ball to drop off for someone to get hit in the face with an egg. And in both cases even though we know there’s a wreck coming we can’t help but watching. So far I am enjoying the vibe from who I assume is the supporting cast. They definitely gave a different feel to the series. As of right now I have watched episode 1 thru 3 and I am choosing to rate it a five star. It may sound unfair but it’s getting a bit old to have the series revolving around a big mystery lie that was stupid and absolutely unnecessary.
**Update: if you can make it past episode 10 things will get a lot better. Although there still some hidden information it is not so extreme. I will admit that I am more invested in the second couple than I am in the first simply because their storyline has a lot more engaging activity going on. it’s just more interesting. I increase the rating because it seem to me that the story got better after episode 10. It was a little less draggy and the excessive lying somewhat stopped which made it a whole lot better. There’s great acting, not so much chemistry going on but there are some heartfelt moments that will tug at you. Ep 10-40 was an improvement. I will warn you that there’s a time jump of 9 years from episode 8-9.
Ep 10-79
Yes, such a huge time. Things have happened but nothing major. Unfortunately these 69 episodes will only provoke you to anger, frustration or disgust. This is the first time I have watched a series this long without having viewed any real progress or development. There has been no major developments only lying and disgusting behavior by rich people. Not cute. In truth if you skip episodes, you won’t be lost because nothing major or worth while takes place.
Ep 80-84
Finally some truths are revealed but sadly it doesn’t change a thing in the vibe or behavior of the cast. Still going at the same pace with the same feel ( greedy ex-wife displaying self righteous behavior to her ex ex husband, sheepish sister doing what she does best accepting the deception she received and crazy ex in-laws acting ruthless and superior. How I long for character growth but at this point I don’t see it happening)
85-100 gets a bit more upbeat. There are some minor revelations and understandings that take place. The ending is okay, pleasing. Karma refused to show up but I think inner humanity did. Overall it’s okay
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