This review may contain spoilers
Miraculously, I made it through all 50 episodes (albeit with a lot of skimming.) Let me preface this review with some hopefully helpful info first.1) If you are a Tiffany Tang/Luo Jin enthusiast, you should note that although Tiffany Tang is listed as the lead role, Director Liu Jiang stated in several interviews that this is NOT a show with a clear female lead, and this is not one of those romances where two female leads fight over some guy. It is also not a show with romance as its key.
2) I've seen people comparing the title of this show to the Taiwanese show "The Way We Were" and the classic film "The Way We Were." Both of these comparisons are wrong, because the show's title is lost in translation. Its Chinese title is a line in a classical poem by Tao Yuanming. The poem talks about the poet's own experience as a government official, and all the corruption and nepotism he witnessed that ended up angering him and leaving him to give up his title and "return" home -- which is the true meaning of this show's title, and the concept this show is based upon.
"To get out of this and go back home! [This line here is the show's title.]
My fields and garden will be overgrown with weeds--I must go back. [Because corruption rots you from the inside.]
It was my own doing that made my mind my body's slave
Why should I go on in melancholy and lonely grief?
I realize that there's no remedying the past
But I know that there's hope in the future.
After all I have not gone far on the wrong road
And I am aware that what I do today is right, yesterday wrong."
Now that I've got that out of the way, let's get on with the review.
The Acting: All right, so, I have never been a fan of Luo Jin or Tiffany Tang (that's not to say I don't like them, I'm just ambivalent and don't go out of my way to watch their shows) and to be honest, I was not floored by their acting in here. On the contrary, I was pleasantly surprised by the acting of Female 2. I think her name is Amelie Xu... a quick search on Baidu tells me that she's a newbie in the ent. circle, this might be her first major TV role. Extremely impressive, imo. In fact, I think it would have been better to name this girl as the female lead, but obviously for marketing reasons they wouldn't have since as a newbie, she wouldn't bring in ratings. The actors of the parental units are all very well-known "old" actors with impressive careers -- I wish I had seen more of them, especially the two corrupt fathers. It would've made the show more bearable for me. Another actor that surprised me was that of Shu Che's father's mistress. Also, obligatory: The English in here sucks. I know it's not their native language, but you'd think these actors would've put more effort into comprehensible English pronunciation considering they're acting as graduate students who are good enough to get into fake-Stanford University. There's a difference between speaking English with an extreme accent and just vocalizing the sounds of English cus you have no idea wtf you're saying and you're just bs'ing your way through your lines.
The Story: It's hard for me to review the story without going into specifics that may or may not be considered spoilers, so I'll just say that the concept of this story could have, and should have, been great. (If I took a shot for every time I thought this about a cdrama, I'd be dead, honestly.) I thought the title was clever, and it even amazed me that they drew from a classical Chinese poem lol. You don't get a lot of cdramas these days where the creators put *that* much thought behind their stories. I could even have handled the extremely slow pace, if only it had used the slow pacing to flesh out important things that contributed to the story somehow. Think about it, this could have been a really deep show using Tao Yuanming's poem as its linchpin, discussing the issues of nepotism and corruption by those in power. I actually think the writers and the director genuinely tried, otherwise they would not have included the poem in the first place, but for lack of skill or whatever reason, they didn't succeed. Ultimately, this is (or rather, is supposed to be) a story about morality and ethics.
Should you watch this?: Listen, if you're a *die-hard* fan of Tiffany or Luo Jin, or both of them, as I am assuming the vast majority of those who have this show on their list are, skim for their scenes. If you're the average c-drama viewer, I'd suggest not wasting your time. Unless you're like me and like to drown in the sorrows of lost potential. However, I do recommend watching Female Lead 2. I see great things in her future and I hope better scripts are coming her way, given the positive attitude Chinese netizens have towards her acting in this show.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Lower Your Expectations and Raise the Speed
“The most frustrating is the lack of proper consequences.”This phrase from one of the only other reviews of the completed Drama brought back many memories.
I don’t know how many other Dramas that user has seen, but the angry rant (their words) about the way ALL the villains, and especially the worst of them, get off scot-free in this Drama reminded me of my own reactions the first 50 or so times I saw that happen in a K Drama. Then I learned to expect it, as an integral part of this sort of Drama. Rather than punishing the wicked, or even having them experience any sort of meaningful redemption arc, fully a quarter to a third of the episodes in Dramas like this are all about them getting away with it while their victims suffer more and more. I expected that in this Drama, and got it, in spades. As soon as the truly VILE people started showing their true character, I 100% expected them to face zero consequences for being human garbage, and so I was not upset or disappointed when my expectations were met. That’s the “Lower Your Expectations” bit.
The Raise Your Speed bit is simple – watch on FF. Knowing what to expect from a Drama of this sort, I watched most of it on 3XFF, only watching scenes at normal speed that were about developing relationships, whether romantic or familial. All the plotting and scheming and horrid people being horrid scenes I just zipped through. And there was enough of the sweet, the warm and the touching to make this Drama an acceptable watch, under those circumstances. I started this Drama for Bona, having enjoyed her other acting roles a lot (I’m not a K-Pop stan), and she and her arc did not disappoint. The Drama gave me what I wanted because I treated it like a buffet, skipping past all the dishes that didn’t interest me.
If you can’t or won’t watch a Drama with heavy use of FF, or if your blood boils at the thought of nasty people escaping effectively ALL consequences for their nastiness, then don’t watch this. But if you CAN watch on FF, can tolerate the bizarre insistence these Dramas have on letting evil go unpunished, and want some sweet stories along the way, then do check it out.
Was this review helpful to you?
Light & Hilariously Fun
It's light and definitively a romantic *comedy,* so if you're looking for something deep or serious, this isn't your drama. That being said, the comedy is, indeed, comedic! The physical comedy is amusing, the misunderstandings are but around funny things and not "if you literally asked one question everything would resolve itself" things, and the friendships that form are unexpected and hilarious. (Assassin-thief sismance for the WIN.) Both leads' acting was great, but the FL *carried* this for many scenes. Her acting and timing are excellent. I laughed so hard at the drunken martial arts posing scene with her and the ML. Are there unrealistic moments? Yes. But this romantic comedy knows what it is—it's very intentional, and you know it's not trying to take itself seriously.(Translation note: It helps to understand the English subtitles, some miscommunications, and the situations better when you know that Chinese uses only one pronoun for both male and female. So "tā" can mean him/her, his/her, or he/she. It's gender non-specific.)
As a gender-bender, it's not bad. They didn't hide her figure well, but her face, hair, and dress could pass as a boy, much more so than in many I've seen. And that she *doesn't* pull it off perfectly is noted early on, so it's not like everyone is pretending to be a brainwashed idiot and see nothing.
The character development isn't massively convincing, and some pieces of the story feel rushed or unexplained, but...hey, it's a short-form comedy. There are scenes of action, intrigue, and angst, but mostly it stays light. The story's serious points (politics, fighting, etc.) are only included as backdrop or fodder for the relationships among the main characters. The romance is slow to build, but very sweet once it picks up, and I like how they grow into a warrior power couple.
Much better than expected" is the summary phrase. Considering it's a comedy built with 10-minute episodes, my standards bar was set low, but this was so much unexpected fun!! I look forward to Season 2.
Was this review helpful to you?
Head 2 Head
13 people found this review helpful
1This review may contain spoilers
One of the Most Disappointing GMMTV 2025 BL So Far
Sigh. This series gave me everything… and then completely fell on its face. Head 2 Head was my third most anticipated BL from the 2025 GMMTV lineup, and it has quickly become one of the most disappointing shows I’ve watched.Let’s dive in.
This series was rushed. Rushed to the gods. Not only did they air it while it was still filming, but they also seemed incapable of coming up with anything new for the leads to do besides repeating the same conflict over and over again. There’s an episode where the leads go to the hospital not once, not twice, but three separate times for entirely different reasons. That’s not drama, that’s diabolical.
What started as something I was genuinely enjoying quickly turned sour. Sea delivers a much stronger performance here than he did in Only Boo!, which actually gives me hope that he’s growing as an actor. I’m now even more excited to see him in my most anticipated 2026 series, Weirdo 101. Unfortunately, his character here is absolutely beaten to death by the dream mechanic. I understood that Jerome could see the future, but I did not realize he was apparently seeing a decade ahead. The show makes no effort to age the characters convincingly. We’re meant to believe they’re in their 30s, yet they look exactly the same, not ten years older, not even ten days older.
The story becomes a constant loop: Jerome dreams something, debates whether to interpret it, decides whether or not to tell Jinn, then it either happens or doesn’t. Rinse. Repeat. By episodes eight or nine, it becomes painfully repetitive and earns nothing more than an eye roll.
The side couples start off as a nice addition before becoming unbearable themselves. Surf and Java land comfortably in my “oh, I like these two” category, which makes me more excited for Roommate Chaos. Van, however, is awful. The series makes no real attempt to redeem him beyond “my parents are dead, feel bad for me,” while he continues being a lousy sleazebag dragging Farm along. The only interesting thing about his arc was the idea that he might have only loved Farm as a friend and felt obligated to feel more because of what Farm had done for him. That could’ve been compelling. But this is GMMTV, where happy endings are almost always mandatory.
The show does work on a comedic level at times, and I enjoyed the dynamics between the leads and their moms. SeaKeen in the physical romance department is… weary. Not terrible, but undeniably awkward. SurfJava do fine. Overall, though, this is a rushed, sloppy series that’s boring in most moments and ridiculous in others. And please, for the love of everything, stop casting the twins as the lonely comedic friend. It’s tired. It’s repetitive. Let it rest.
Ratings:
Story: 6/10 - Fun at the start, but like many GMMTV series, it completely collapses by the end.
Acting: 8.5/10 - Sea has improved immensely. He still has room to grow, but the progress is obvious. Standouts were Keen and Java.
Music: 5/10 - didn't pay attention to it.
Recommendation Value: 2/10 - skippable. Unless you really liked the actors, this does not warrant a watch. Save your time.
Was this review helpful to you?
A rare comedy with no villains and misunderstandings.
This drama is very refreshing to watch. Critics aside, this an extremely rare NO VILLAINS and NO MISUNDERSTANDINGS drama. Almost all historical shows (wuxia and xianxia) have very heavy political plots and focus on hardships of the couple. But this one is just light and peak comedy.I loved the FL so much omg. She stood up for herself yet was kind for the needy. She also never misunderstood the ML so their "fights" never lasted for a long time. Also, I never ponce though she was ugly because she has the type of smile that can immediately melt anyone.
And of course, Li Hong Yi looks hot as ever. That man is just really handsome. I was skeptical about his character first, but he showed more depth over the course and that was really refreshing.
Liu Scorpio and his wife are just one of a kind. I'll leave it at that. chemistry but
I see a lot of people complaining about the lack of chemistry but I disagree. Yes there aren't many intimate scenes but I think their little things and habits show love in a unique way.
Overall do not be swayed by the negative reviews. Watch it for comedy at the very least. This one also has some great OSTs as a plus. Really loved it!
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
"Dreaming is a reality to be experienced"
"Dreaming is a reality to be experienced"The Spirealm was not a simple love story, nor was it your typical adventurous romance.
It was much more than that; it was a journey of self-discovery through his own work. Passion, love, and hatred...
Throughout the process, he felt love, hate, resentment, atonement, pity, and sadness for his own characters. He went through a lot.
The dedication and effort he put into creating it, the desire for perfection, and the determination and joy he experienced upon its completion were priceless to me.
I know most people are really disappointed with the ending, but I really loved it, and I enjoyed the romance while it lasted very much.
Let's be honest; he wasn't the only one suffering. I suffered along with him, as did every character I ever loved.
The stories behind each door were terrifyingly good, and the game of guessing what would happen next was simply fun and gut-wrenching!
The music is neither bad nor good; it's just okay.
This was a breath of fresh air in terms of plot and storyline, even with all its flaws. It's a must-watch!
Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
Less violent and worthy remake
First off let me explain the title of my review. I call it a WORTHY remake because that's what it is: a good, solid remake. I don't know if it's good enough to make us forget the original but it's trying. One thing that I like is that they changed the setting of the story and made it a historical. From the clothing, I'd put the era around the 1960s. It doesn't matter too much to the story, but I liked the touch of exotism it added (the clothes and the cars). It also made a few plot points more relevant (like the fact that a rich family could easily bully a single mother, or how one would make a living through painting), which was clever.It is also less violent than the original drama. Not that there is absolutely no violence, some characters are really mistreated in this, but thankfully our FL is not, and most importantly not by the ML. Oh he's not tender towards her, but he's not physically abusive and even the arm-grabbing is reduced to a minimum.
The story in itself is pretty cliché by now, so I won't go into details about it.
The acting was pretty good, especially Esther carried the show with her talent and her beauty. Jes is not bad, but he didn't fully meet the expectations set by Chakrit for this character. He had me in the beginning but by the second part of the drama, I was a bit indifferent to Jes' portrayal. The chemistry between Esther and Jes is good though. REAL KISSES, though few of them.
The rest of the cast was good, though the 2d FL was given too much screen time, but eh she's pretty so I don't complain.
The kid actor was adorable. And other actors were pretty good too.
I never notice the music in shows, so that's that.
I recommend this whether or not you've seen the 2005 version, it's well worth watching or rewatching.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Good short watch
What I liked about the drama here was that it did not really affect Harumi and Maiko’s relationship - no breaking up or big fights due to misunderstanding, or jealousy when the exes and the pasts appeared. They remained trusting of each other but it was also nice to see their insecurities and jealousies which was a natural reaction but they did not let it influence them in making irrational decisions.Maiko’s two pasts were such annoying characters - I think the only ones that I didn’t particularly care for in the whole drama. But it was good to watch how Maiko and Harumi handled the situation.
Was this review helpful to you?
I am surprise nobody write especially my flower boy leading man is in this drama "haha"(*shy wink*)
Story:
the plot was ok. Interesting meet and fall in love. Interesting family environment.
the initial story was funny with li ye feng boyish behaviour being the most treasured son in the family and the father was cute too. (you know those father threaten to hit but heart pain like hell scene and it cute, not those teary kind)
the meetup and encounter of the male lead and female lead was cute too.
Cast:
The Cast was good... although I heard many comments that 2015 for Tang Yan was the same face and acting of hers in all her drama but I find her pretty :P (one of my best actress category :P)
the 2nd male lead from H.K was good too, find him handsome in this drama that his other h.k show which I dun rem him being cast on a impt role before (maybe that's why he moved to china, after breaking up with ms xxx) opps, not gossip time ya :p
Music:
Music was ok but
nothing special caught my ears ....
Rewatch Value:
maybe the initial episodes that was funny and can certainly rewatch some scenes from there ^.^
howver, I really hate the rush finishing of the drama...they could have elaborate more on the ending....
watch it and you will know what I meant. Cheers!
Was this review helpful to you?
Do Joon blew me away here. I actually want to see him as a chaebol/king in any drama because he did a great job of it here. What I loved about this drama was that they stayed true to history and yet played with it in every way. I might not know a lot about Korean history but I know that they at least managed to not distort facts through this drama.
The two episodes go by really quickly and the romance is so worth watching! It will give you flutters and leave you with a warm feeling. Managing that in just 2 episodes is commendable and I wanted more. :D
This drama is enjoyable every single minute and it's amazing how they managed all Kdrama sageuk cliches within these two episodes. Plus the kisses are great too! Give this drama a go, you won't regret it. :D
Was this review helpful to you?
Those are the three words I can describe I Remember You.
During the course of watching the drama, I often wonder to myself, 'how can a drama be this good?' In a way, there are many plot points that could've gone awry, executions that would've made the whole drama into a train wreck, or characters that would've become so frustrating, yet somehow, none of that happened. Instead, the opposite of it became the final product: storyline filled with suspense, angst, with an air of quirky comedy that will keep you glued to your screen from the first minute to the last, excellent relays of the writer's ideas transforming to a visual interpretation from the directors and producers even with the camera works, and finally, characters that are heart-wrenching, clever, and refreshing.
The ability of the drama to execute pathos within its loyal viewers despite the horrific acts and wrongdoings other characters have made is a feat within itself. The drama's question of, Are monsters created or born?, makes you re-evaluate yourself on your own morals and values.
The drama is sadly underrated, but as to what I've read somewhere, the ratings were very steady, which can mean that those who loyally watched from the first episode sticked until the end, and loved it to its core. Honestly speaking, ratings do not even matter anymore. However, there's a part of me that is upset and hurt that I Remember You did not get the justice to be praised, applauded, and commended for what it's worth. Such a pity that it wasn't appreciated during its airing when it is clearly one of the best and unforgettable dramas in 2015.
I find myself unable to move on, having major withdrawals from the drama, crying whenever I hear Dear Cloud's Remember as if the song comforts me as it comforts our characters. That itself makes me believe that I would have missed out real good have I not watched this gem.
Kudos, I Remember You, you will be remembered, and never forgotten. With that, I give it not just a 10 out of 10, but a 15 + alpha.
Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
a lot of potential
Overall: I wish this was released on an official international platform with high quality subs but even then, the story would still have felt choppy - too much was left unexplained. 50 short episodes between 1 and 2 minutes.Content Warnings: murder, attempted murder, blood, beaten up off screen, past intimate partner abuse
What I Liked
- the premise
- tension
- visuals
Room For Improvement
- too much was not explained, what exactly defined 'scumbag', did he keep doing it?, scenes sometimes jumped from one scene to something totally different
- nonsense stuff: how did he not have any money because it seems that he would have money if it was requests from people, police hadn't caught him?
Was this review helpful to you?
PURE ENTERTAINMENT
Big issue is a good drama . The one which keeps you wanting for more .A totally new outlook from the perspective of paparazzi media , with retro vintage music combined .
In short Big Issue is a complete package of enjoyment.
Everything makes sense.
Greed, power, money, nothing's much overhyped here like all K dramas do .
It's all within the limits of the person's capability .
The difficulties they face , I mean even being that to is not easy .
Each and every relevant fact have been factored out .
In short
This drama is a masterpiece .
ACTING :
You know many actors and actress play certain roles but in this drama they have this Aura of the character they're playing .
They have one of the best chemistry .
Specially Han Ye seul , What a gorgeous beauty .
She has the talent of acting with her eyes and expressions .
I was just mesmerized by her throughout this .
ROMANCE :
Are you a fan of cold romance ?
Then welcome to the club .
This drama will make you crave for it .
But you'll get really nothing except little niggles in b/w .
This has one of the coldest romance ( If you've seen K2 you know what I'm talking bout ).
PS : The biggest hidden lesson is the social media outlook .
Photos , how dangerous can they be ?
I mean just think of the fact that if you're being monitored everytime . How would that feel ?Even thinking bout that makes you cringe , right ?
Now what if it gets leaked to the world .
That's it I will leave you here to wonder .
Was this review helpful to you?
