A Waste of Time
Honestly, this show was a huge letdown for me all around. The production value was great, the acting was overall pretty good, but the story? The relationships? A big, hot mess that never truly got solved by the end.We can start with the positives. I liked the actors (for the most part— to be honest, New's crying scenes felt inauthentic at times), and the chemistry between the couples was pretty good. Not mind-blowing by any means, but enough for me to buy that they were actually attracted to each other. I loved pretty much all of the friendships, as well! Kuea and Kon-Diao were great best friends, and actually supported each other equally in a way I feel I hardly ever see in fiction. I also really enjoyed all of Kuea's school friends— they were hilarious and so much fun to watch on screen. And honestly, Syn and Nuer's little side relationship was the best-executed plotline in the whole show. The last positive was Foei, who was a side character that stole the scene every time he showed up; I enjoyed the comedy he brought immensely.
And now, the negatives. For starters, a lot of the storyline and plot felt very, very nonsensical. The arranged marriage aspect felt very forced, because there didn't seem to be an actual reason for Lian and Kuea to be arranged to be married. It was like the writers wanted to make us see that they were really in love and not actually being forced into marriage, even though that's the whole point of an arranged marriage plotline. There was also so much weirdness around how Lian and Kuea had known each other since Kuea was a baby, and yet at some point (we never find out when, because why would they ever give us any answers??) Kuea starts acting like a "perfect little doll" and hiding who he actually is. But it's also pointless because the viewer learns early on that Lian knows everything Kuea is trying to hide from him— so what is the point of Kuea hiding it? Why don't they ever just communicate about anything ever?
And that's not even starting on the mess that is the Yi/Diao plotline. Somehow, that one makes even less sense than Lian and Kuea's, since Yi and Diao aren't even together prior to the start of the show! It's weirdly written where it's made to look like Kuea and Diao are in the same situation of pining for their fiances while they think the Hias don't actually love them back, and yet it's not until way into the show that we find out that Yi and Diao aren't anything like that. And pretty much nothing about them and their situation is ever explained, presumably because the writers want to do a sequel series surrounding them.
In the end, the only way to enjoy this show is to just not think about anything and enjoy each scene for what it is rather than as it should be as part of an overall narrative. I wouldn't recommend watching it, as pretty much every other drama I've watched thus far has a more cohesive storyline with relationships that actually make sense.
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2This review may contain spoilers
A Poetically Crafted Story That Deeply Captured The Essence Of An Unconditional Love
"The First Frost" is a modern romance drama adaptation of the novel titled "Nan Hong" which means "Hard To Coax", written by a well-known author, Zhu Yi. It focuses on the romantic tale between Sang Yan and his high school deskmate, Wen Yi Fan. The drama immerses into the nostalgic youthful idea of first love and intertwines it together with the melancholic pining of second chances. While its cinematography visually creates a gloomy and dreamy-like vibe, the OSTs adds a sentimental touch that completely draws you into its romantic tale. However...The First Frost is no ordinary modern romance drama, it is a poetically crafted story that deeply captured the essence of an unconditional love and engraved it as a lasting imprint. An unconditional love that embodies unwavering commitment and fosters a heartfelt emotional journey which leads to personal growth and self-discovery. It is where love isn't a mere consolation or healer of wounds and scars, instead it is where love is a guiding light that illuminates through the darkness bringing peace and safety. It is also where love is depicted to be more than just an emotion and feeling, but a constant deliberate choice that comes from ones willingness to choose to love every single day without any exceptions — no matter the uncertainty or the storms ahead. This drama meaningfully entails an invaluable love while also beholding an important message about self-love.
STORYLINE₊ ⊹❅
The storytelling follows a nonlinear timeline that instills flashbacks of the main protagonists' high school life into their present adult life exuding a reminiscent nostalgic feel. It generally revolves around the female lead, Wen Yi Fan's point of view but it also glimpses through the point of view of the male lead, Sang Yan by the end of each episode which further adds enrichment to the story. The drama begins with a heartbreaking memory that occurred on one rainy night where Wen Yi Fan and Sang Yan separated in tears, then courses straight into more heavier scenes that can be triggering as it tackles a sensitive topic which women in real life faces, these scenes highlighted the life struggles of Wen Yi Fan and serves as a necessary element that allowed viewers to have a clearer grasp of her character. The defining line is drawn here as the drama's trajectory focuses not solely into romance, but also into trauma; its effect on life and love itself.
The first half of the drama creates a somber atmosphere that eventually balances out with warmer tones and a mixture of lighthearted moments as Wen Yi Fan and Sang Yan crosses paths once again — they become two strangers living together under one roof with a shared painful past. This showed the contrasting differences in their lives and opened the door to their feelings. What I love during this part of the story is how both yearning and loneliness is set-up so gut-wrenchingly yet soothes it with understated affections through the conscious acts of Sang Yan and the unconscious acts of Wen Yi Fan. I found the sleepwalking scenes of Wen Yi Fan to be made not only as a mere catalyst that shortens the distance between her and Sang Yan, but a significant metaphor that reflects Wen Yi Fan's deep-seated feelings which even her conscious self isn't aware about. How she walked amidst the darkness towards the sun to embrace its warmth speaks about her pains, fears and her desperate call to be found — without knowing the sun she had reached out to was Sang Yan, the only person that ever brought warmth and light to her world — this scene was meaningfully executed and deeply tugged on the heartstrings.
What ultimately shapes the story more coherently lies in the second half as it dives deeper into the main protagonists innermost feelings and their past. This is where an evident romantic progress between Wen Yi Fan and Sang Yan is seen, but it is also where the shadow that has long been haunting Wen Yi Fan comes into the picture. I appreciated their sweet and intimate moments which led into a much livelier atmosphere, although it soon transitioned into the angsty and heavy arcs, such transition helped heightened the emotions evoked during these arcs. The separation in Hong Kong wasn't added simply as a mere trope, it showed the comprehensive depth of the story and stayed consistent to Wen Yi Fan's trauma. As much as it is emotionally gripping, it brought out more layers of Sang Yan and Wen Yi Fan's characters. This aspect is one of the dramas advantageous feat because of how it had interwoven trauma into the story with an insightful knowledge and at the same time dealt with it respectfully. It did justice in showing how trauma greatly impacts one's life, how coping mechanisms varies greatly for different individuals, and how healing is not linear nor does it heal easily. It gave a realistic portrayal of trauma and wrapped it with a positive message.
As for the romance between Wen Yi Fan and Sang Yan, it leans more to slow-burn where their relationship developed intricately, hence, I thought it felt more organic as the characters were made to gradually intensify their feelings. The way their love story was written never felt cringe or cliche, it was mature and brilliantly stood out for how utterly beautiful and unparalleled it was depicted. The drama painted Wen Yi Fan and Sang Yan's love story in translucid colors that vividly showed the pure unconditional love they have for each other, to the extent that even the words "I love you" pales away in comparison for how wholeheartedly they conveyed love in more than just three words. The second leads romance wasn't able to fully pique my interest at first as their story felt lackluster however, the latter half of the drama showcased a much more interesting plot for them which eventually made me invested in them as well.
The drama ended on a very satisfying note as all loose ends were neatly tied leaving no room for unresolved matters. The antagonists in the story each faced the consequences of their actions, there was no unnecessary redemption arc as every toxic connection was cut off. Wen Yi Fan and Sang Yan's high school memories were remarkably concluded by how they seamlessly weaved all the details together and the addition of Sang Yan's unseen point of view gave light for viewers to see how absolutely profound their relationship actually truly is. As if it couldn't be more perfect, they executed the proposal scene in a way that magnificently captured the raw authentic emotions expressed by Wen Yi Fan and Sang Yan during that moment, making it feel so realistic — the evident nervousness, trembling hands and lips, the tears, and heartfelt words. It is the best proposal scene to have ever been created. The ending they had given is beyond just a happy ending, it is an unforgettable and deeply-moving moment that certainly left a lasting impression.
The cinematography artistically enhanced the overall emotional tone of each scene with the constant use of lights, mirrors and reflections that gives off visuals that are a blend of dreamy, melancholic and nostalgic vibes. It was breathtakingly cinematic and definitely elevated the watching experience.
CHARACTERS & ACTING₊ ⊹❅
Bai Jing Ting as Sang Yan
Sang Yan is a character written with so many good qualities in him that it overshadows his flaws and makes him come off as someone too perfect, but actually he is far from perfect. He just happens to have a lot of love in him as he was born surrounded with love which is his greatest privilege. He grew up in a loving home where he is constantly showered with affection and care from his family. He used to be someone spoiled and self-centered as he had never suffered any setbacks in his life, everything had always went well for him and this is what made him flawed. It was through his separation with Wen Yi Fan where he realized that the world doesn't revolve around him. The pain he felt in this heartbreaking experience is one of the important things that helped shaped him into becoming the present Sang Yan. Sang Yan is a character who is the complete embodiment of persistence, regardless of being afraid or the outcome, he just tries and never gives up.
Sang Yan's love for Wen Yi Fan isn't an ever-burning passionate love instead it is a quietly-fierce and unconditional love that is strong and unwavering. Despite how his love is fierce, he had never forced his feelings on Wen Yi Fan. He expresses his love for her through subtle acts of affection, where he notices and cares for even the smallest things about her. What struck me the most about him is how he is able to let down his pride and acknowledge its insignificance compared to the pain and suffering Wen Yi Fan has been through. Sang Yan letting down his pride doesn't necessarily mean he lacks self-respect rather it spoke of his inner strength that emanated from his deep sense of self-worth. Instead of becoming another storm in Wen Yi Fan's life, he became her home, he truly understood and sees through her; not just her heart but her very soul. He is an emotionally intelligent man who loves not because he wants something in return, but because he willingly wants to give love to the person he values — and this speaks about his self-love, he loved himself that loving Wen Yi Fan comes naturally for him.
Bai Jing Ting's acting performance and portrayal of Sang Yan is phenomenal. Every emotion he expressed across the screen was strongly felt. His facial expressions and eye-acting, particularly his micro expressions were so apparent it helped connect with his character in an emotional level easily. His eyes always held so many emotions that his crying scenes are carried out realistically. He is one of the very few actors I know who can really act a crying scene without making it fake. He really gave life to his character.
Zhang Ruo Nan as Wen Yi Fan | Wen Shuangjiang
Wen Yi Fan is a character who suffers from trauma and abandonment issues. She is someone who had lived life wearing a facade to mask away all her pain, but before all the suffering she has been through, she used to be someone bright and filled with love. The biggest turning point in her life was when she lost her father, she didn't only lose the person who cherished and cared for her most, she also lost her home and a part of herself. She is someone who had long stopped believing in love and believing in what she deserves. She had built a wall around herself that even her closest friends aren't able to see through her. She is a damaged person who is afraid to reach out for help because she still carried the betrayal of her mother who left her to suffer alone. Running away has always been her coping mechanism and way of survival. The separation and reconciliation arc in Hong Kong is a major event that helped her character to outgrow her traumas, realize her strength and opened her heart to self-love. Wen Yi Fan is actually a character who is courageous and resilient. Her ability to move forward with life despite everything she has been through and her constant determination to continue to live speaks so much of it.
Wen Yi Fan's love for Sang Yan is absolutely selfless and unconditional. Her way of loving Sang Yan does not come in the form of wanting to own him, instead it is in the form of wanting the best for him. Wen Yi Fan had always believed that Sang Yan is a person who deserves all the good things in the world, she sees him as someone so precious that she wants to preserve his brightness. Although, her decision to runaway without reaching out to him wasn't a completely right choice, it was still an understandable act as she did it to protect him from the shadow that has constantly been haunting her, because the last thing she would want to happen is for Sang Yan to lose his life. Her love for Sang Yan helped her break through the shackles that had long chained her, she healed not for herself alone but so that she could be the best for him. She values Sang Yan a lot that she willingly meets him where he is at just as much as he willingly does for her too. In the past, she might have broken his heart but she was one of the reason that helped shaped him to become stronger.
Zhang Ruo Nan's portrayal of Wen Yi Fan is worthy of recognition and praise. She really understood and connected with her character that she conveyed every emotional scene brilliantly. Most especially her crying scenes, they were so heartfelt. She wasn't only good at emotional scenes but her drunk scene is deserving of appreciation too for how natural she portrayed it. Her acting performance is outstanding.
OSTs₊ ⊹❅
The OSTs helped set the vibe of each specific scene which allowed every emotion depicted in the drama to come across the screen more impactfully. They weren't only captivating to listen to, each of the songs were meaningfully written and gives highlight to Sang Yan and Wen Yi Fan's love. It is definitely one of the key elements of the drama that enriches the watching experience. I love all the songs and my most favorite of them all is 'I'm So Into You' by Xiao Bing Chih.
OVERALL IMPRESSION₊ ⊹❅
The First Frost is a masterpiece that rekindled the feeling of what it is like to have a first love, it is a drama that deeply portrayed yearning and reunion through its rich plot. It is also a drama that takes you to experience an unforgettable and meaningful story that will not only move you, but make you feel seen as well.
The First Frost is a beautiful reminder for when we forget to be kinder to ourselves, for when we forget to remember love..."Treat yourself well, and the world will hold more love for you".
Bai Jing Ting and Zhang Ruo Nan's chemistry is impeccable. I will never forget their portrayal of Sang Yan and Wen Yi Fan, they did justice to their characters and truly brought the love between these fictional characters so powerfully on screen. All the other actors and crew of The First Frost did an amazing job as well in creating this drama, their efforts and hardwork wasn't in vain. The First Frost is now officially my top favorite modern romance drama.
FAVE SCENES₊ ⊹❅
- Wen Yi Fan's sleepwalking scene
- Sang Yan and Wen Yi Fan's confession scene in Beiyu noodle shop
- Sang Yan formally introducing Wen Yi Fan as his girlfriend on Qian Fei's Wedding
- Sang Yan taking care of his drunk girlfriend Wen Yi Fan
- Sang Yan's fight scenes
- Wen Yi Fan and Sang Yan's hospital talk scene
- Wen Yi Fan and Sang Yan's entire high school memory
- Wen Yi Fan finding out about Sang Yan's momento or keepsake box
- Sang Yan's "I volunteered"
- Wen Yi Fan's talk with her younger self
- All their intimate scenes
- Proposal scene
p.s all of Sang Yan and Wen Yi Fan's scenes together are my favorite.
˖ . ݁❅𝜗𝜚❅. ݁₊
"When you're old, gray, and sleepy,
you snuggle wearily by the fireside,
and take a random book for company,
you savor the look in your eyes,
when you were chasing your dreams.
You used to have that look,
and be full of affection.
I loved your great and elegant past,
your mistakes, and your true beauty.
There is only one man who has ever gazed,
into your pious and holy heart,
and fallen inlove,
with your sad and aging face.
In the moonlight,
you bowed your head,
stooped, and murmured dejectedly,
in an attempt to escape from love.
Then you sneaked over the hill,
and hid your face.
Someone who is fierce,
who will love me among the stars, until death,
and know that love is as strong as death,
and be on my side,
forever and ever.
I want someone who is fierce,
and will love me until death,
it's you."
— Sang Yan & Wen Yi Fan (Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson)
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Nonetheless, it is one of the decent ones in recent wuxia/xianxia genre. It has good action/battle scenes. Even though it follows a typical wuxia storyline of a young naive boy becoming a hero, it is still enjoyable. The story is, however, quite dragging, sometimes it takes three or more episodes to go through a sub-plot.
As for acting wise, I am not that impressed with Li Yi Feng and most of the casts but I have always liked Zhao Li Ying since her older works.
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This review may contain spoilers
Average drama with an unlikely premise and a dumbfounding conclusion.
This drama had a lot going for it--strong cast, good production values, "romance" in the title--except a script. FL Son Na Eun with her glorious scowl/RBF and mom Kim Jee Soo were the most engaging characters, but they didn't have much to work with.Most of the other (negative) reviews focus on the absurd premise of a hapless father abandoning his wife and two small children after going bankrupt and leaving them destitute, only to return 10 years (or more?) later with a pile of sketchy money and a not very well thought out plan to win their hearts back. But as bad as that is, it isn't even the worst aspect of the plot, which is the almost stupifying "I don't need no man to make me happy" conclusion. But who could blame them? In the almost complete absence of any redeemable male characters in the whole drama, the two principal female characters decide that they are better off/happy living alone. The icing on the cake comes when the young FL asserts she is happy continuing to live her celibate lifestyle and has absolutely no intention of ever getting married--despite her supposedly wonderful relationship with her nice guy boyfriend. (I wonder if she consulted him about this...) The writer even had the temerity to throw in a reference to South Korea's lowest in the world .78 birth rate in the same scene. And this was a "romance"? Mind blown.
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Initially I like this drama. I liked the lead female,Makino Tsukushi, as a strong female role because she would't succumb to the arrogant F4(especially from the lead male Domyouji Tsukasa). It was cliche, but I've come to expect that in any japanese teen drama. Some reactions and plot devices were unrealistic, but I can ignore that. What turned me off was the complete 180 the drama took from reality involving Domyouji. Let's get this straight, Domyouji is a narcissistic, obnoxious, arrogant creep. Nothing leads me to feel empathy for his character. Domyouji does awful, terrible, things to harass Makino; even going as far as hiring people to sexually assault her. The 'excuses' for his behavior (his background story) are not at all valid for being such an awful human being and I feel no empathy for the character.
I had to quit watching after I searched for the ending. I couldn't make myself sit through the entire drama only to be enraged at the end.
The only semi saving grace for this show was the acting. Oguri Shun is a brilliant actor, and Jun Matsumoto portrays his character well (as does Mao Inoue). So I guess if you are a fan of the manga you will like it (???). For me, two thumbs way way down.
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drop-worthy drama full to the brim with contrivances
let me start by the conclusion. I would have dropped this one by the second or third episode max, and the reason why I didn't might sound strange to some people, but I just continued watching because I had done the mistake of batch-downloading the whole drama, so I didn't want the bandwidth and memory space to go to waste, so I kind of just pushed myself to finish the whole thing.the story here despite being original on paper was executed simply put; badly.
first off, it is a story that has to resort time and time again to some over the top unbelievable plot points that constantly require the viewer to commit to some strong levels of suspension of disbelief, but above all the biggest point that ruined the story for me was unfortunately that it relied on a romance plot that felt contrived.
the writers pushed onto the viewer a love story that was at best not allowed to mature properly on screen; but rather it felt like a dish that was taken out of the oven still uncooked or even cold and shoved in our face selling it as one of the best epic love stories, of two star-crossed lovers battling different social statuses and a horrible cast system.
I mean I personally watched their first encounter thinking to myself that I was looking forward to how their coming interactions would progress until it develops into romance, but then suddenly we are made to accept the fact that that first meeting was nothing short of a life-altering moment for the ages especially for the ML, despite the fact that it felt lackluster at best . Just a few moments after that first encounter, the ML is gazing at the stars reminiscing about the FL and how he had somehow fell head over heels for the disguised slave, just cause of the fact that she opened his eyes to the role of art and entertainment in the lives of commoners and poor folks, an epiphany which later helped inspire his life's mission or whatever.
I mean I get that they were portraying it as love at first sight, but it wasn't just that I could barely buy their initial attraction , just after a couple of interactions with her supposedly changed him to the point that despite the fact that he was portrayed as a spoilt brat who didn't care for education, he was willing to give up all of his final pocket money after being disowned by his father in order to stop slave hunters from searching for the FL whom he'd only ever met a couple of times and who had run away to escape persecution, no they went even a step further and made him infatuated by her for years and dreaming of only her, but the most frustrating part was that when they finally met years later he was acting as if he knew her and her character thoroughly and was even wishing she would be true to herself, I was almost screaming at the screen "how the he'll do you claim to know her character when you've only ever met a bunch of times briefly?!".
You could tell the writers were unsure the viewers were sold on how deep and genuine their feels to each other were, they had to constantly make us listen to him narrating that lazily written boring story of how they met and how the lost noble fell for the female slave disguised as a man who taught him the deep lesson of how people are just too sad and miserable they enjoy any half assed show they can watch, and that' moment helped him to realize his true calling was in being an entertainer. I reached a point were I was rolling and my eyes and fast-forwarding whenever that tale was mentioned.
I do not wish to blame the actors for how I never felt for their romance story on screen (though to be honest I never managed to feel any chemistry between them, maybe barely during the last couple of episodes) and I do believe that if the trajectory of their relationship had taken a less sudden steep increase like it did, and we were allowed more screen time of their encounters prior to her running away and them separating, maybe it would have served the romance more. but maybe then we would have blamed her for so readily accepting a marriage proposal from her first crush's lookalike, so that's a whole other point. Maybe that was why their encounter felt so rushed, they had to make her think that he wasn't THAT into her, so she wouldn't be stuck at the memory of him.
to be honest it would have helped a lot if the first couple of episodes didn't feel so rushed, like the writers were feeling anxious and wanting to haste the story to the climax-worthy moment that would change our main characters fate and Kickstart her journey as a noble woman. don't know if maybe it was out of fear of losing the viewers before the main plot point was revealed or what, but man that first episode sure felt like riding a Rollercoaster that later felt like it almost suffered a crash.
The main plot is not bad per-se, it is fun to watch a rags-to-riches story that involved impersonating a person of a different social status, and the struggle to prove one's true worth and potential against all odds, but the methods and plot tools the writers took in order to move the story forward included a string of convoluted over the top convenient and unbelievable coincidences, chance encounters, perfect timings, and obviously unexplained cases of doppelgangers, it all felt so forced and contrived it was pure eye-rolling material requiring major suspension of disbelief. I mean there is a whole main character that was rendered but a mere story tool; only brought out and utilized when the writers have managed to push themselves in a corner with their plot and are struggling for a way out, and then he is kept to the side for another pinch. there were side characters that felt more fleshed out and endearing I was genuinely thankful for their existence in the story, not saying their parts were always equally engaging but at the very least they felt like a living person rather than a prop or device.
another thing that bothered me sometimes, is how the directing of certain scenes that aim at stirring the viewer's emotions whether in happiness or grief, tended to overdo it to the point it felt either cringe-inducing or flat. It is a waste to feel glad by a character's hard earned success only to have a whole village cheering and clapping, or to feel moved by the death of maybe one of the only characters that I genuinely liked, only to be met with a long scene of his apparition saying his farewells you almost feel emotionally- detached from the whole scene.
the production was overall good, great costume and prop design.
the music, nothing stuck with me, but I have one last grievance, they would use in some of the fluffy, comedic or romantic scenes this one cheesy beauty and the beast OST sounding track don't know if it is plagiarism or by design but it really annoyed me a lot.
overall the pacing of the story was off, the use of convenient coincidences was too much, the romance in the first half felt off at least in my own humble opinion, and all those points combined and other minor issues just destroyed the whole experience for me I find it hard to recommend to anyone.
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Again a wasted chance...
What's with all the "periodic" series in the past six months? It's all very lacorn style, over-dramatized acting, female villains and generally a story which does not make much sense. They build up a conspiracy against the crown which fades into nothingness. And because they are lazy writing a good script, there has to be a doppelganger which can be overtaken by a ghost...I'm very sorry, this is also one of the series which is mostly bullshit. While I like BillyBabe (and of course their chemistry is undeniable being a real couple) and I think they can act, it's wasted with this kind of story. Maybe this only resonates with asiens or it resonates only with women, but for me it's just boring and unbelievable. This series makes some up with very good cinematography, very nice costumes, the dancing which was for sure a chore training for and the music in general.
Storywise this was a dumpster fire. Generally it's watchable, but mostly a waste of time.
Edit: Billy & Babe left Idol Factory, was anounced on 31st January 2026... good for them!
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Uhm okay, this drama was bad. Please avoid if possible. Yuck.
Generally speaking, I have a high tolerance for trash and genuinely enjoy dramas that may have subpar elements, maybe its weather or I’m uncharacteristically annoyed, but here I am with my review.Upon reading the drama synopsis, I had the idea that I was about to watch a drama concerning a banished royal prince with high cultivation and a princess. They have romantic feelings and stand on opposite sides of a political struggle upon other situations, which they overcome to protect Kong Sang continent. Not true.
25 episodes in, the prince has high cultivation but has not progressed any further from when we initially met him. The princess has increased her own cultivation about 5% thus can shoot some flames instead of a spark. Hmm.
25 episodes in, the prince is suppressing his emotions and has only just about left the mountain to actually be useful. The princess has spent most of the time drinking, crying for the prince and talking to a few people. So, nothing generally useful.
25 episodes in, the plot has only just started to move after that random as Huotu tribe arc, whereby consort kills king, consort tries to kill and/or control princess, consorts son slits his throat on her behalf. We also have a lil sea dragon emperor plot finally brewing in the background OKAY.
25 episodes in, nothing memorable has happened and the plot is only just about happening. My time has been wasted. Nice
Also why is the crimson king, his warrior and his daughter all useless? Anyways.
Now at the 40th episode after suffering through 3 episodes that were randomly 90 minutes long, I have finally reached the end. What can I conclude?
In the last 3rd of the drama, princess gurlie has finally learnt some skills and the ml started being somewhat (BARELY) useful.
Before i can blink, more nonsense begins.
Emperor Xingzun using the ice clan because he is obsessed with Bai Wei for over ONE THOUSAND YEARS so wants to destroy Kong Sang and rebuild. Not a bad idea, but this was exposed randomly, and a big villain also killed randomly. And then we randomly see that its not over till its over apparently (insert formless God of Destruction). The whole Ice clan plot was undeveloped and resolved with zero effort.
Consort Qing, Azure King, 2nd Bai daughter, Yuan? Okay. Okay?????????
The part when Zhu Yan tells Shi Ying that she loves Yuan and wants to live a reclusive life with him thus finally shows some strength and uses a special technique for the first time in her life to protect him at the cost of her life? Shi Ying then shanking himself unironically out of jealousy/fear or whatever? Then Zhu Yan uses ultra majestic forbidden magic to respawn a memoryless version him at the risk of her own senses. Then he comes back with no memory, they do up romance with impending doom around the corner. She then leaves and nearly dies. Then he nearly dies leaving the priesthood. Then he actually dies again in battle. Then he resurrects this time on his own. WHAT?!? ITS ALL SO RANDOM.
For what reason? Such a pointless, plotless, boring, unromantic, dramatic and GARBAGE set of scenes. They just decided to spawn some random romantic angst that actually doesn’t make sense? ????
All this is because Shi Ying is actually dumb. Zhu Yan is also dumb. In fact, the director is also dumb as well.
I’m not gonna speak on that Sauron nonsense in episodes 39/40. All I know was that too many things happened and nothing made sense. Some shit ending as well especially after 120 minutes.
For something I hoped to enjoy, I found myself bitterly dissatisfied and disappointed with this drama. Cdrama producers and directors need to learn how to pace and appropriately edit to avoid putting out trash like this. With better focus on cultivation and the storyline concerning Kong Sang/Sea dragon emperor and the merfolk, it would have been better. Lastly, the power scaling doesn’t make sense, Shi Ying is too strong for no reason. 3/10 because CGI was nice and the main leads were good-looking. Bye.
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Great premise, stupid characters
Was really excited for this as the premise seemed interesting. Then we were introduced to Death. She's an annoying child throwing a tantrum because, according to her, humans don't deserve to kill themselves. She says there are way worse pain than living a crappy life. I guess people being sexually trafficked, liked the gangster's girlfriend, should just go on living no matter how hellish their life is. Oh, and she doesn't like being "disrespected", as if people killing themselves are doing it for fun.The action scenes and the different lives are interesting, especially the gangster one. Sadly, this Death is not as cool as they could have had her be. She could have had a better reason for the game. Instead she just comes off as petty and silly. I just can't take her seriously with her constant threats, aka constant whinnying.
I know it's based off a webtoon but I honestly think it could have been much better with a different, more interesting reason as to why the game happens.
No hate to the actress. At least she has a cool look.
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seems so good
nice to see First and other familiar faces. I like the tone and the story. acting is good and just generally the chemistry is amazing. I am frustrated I started it as it means I can't binge it. this is a binging series otherwise you don't get so hooked and feel the slow burn between the two leads. I will defo rewatch to get that excited feeling I got. it's so call to see First like this, he often does dark roles or is the main hitter in something fighting like... so a bit of romance is nice for him . I don't know of I'm just filling up the 500 word thing I genuinely am happy with the show and just wanted to express so in 10 but it wouldn't let me. so I will went on a tangentWas this review helpful to you?
Let’s get things straight; Ghibli Studio’s film is still superior in every way. But this version is also quite enjoyable. Unlike what the general audience might think, this isn’t a remake of the 1989 animation; it’s actually based on the original novel. As a consequence, many things are entirely dissimilar from the animated version. The character and the general climax were untouched but once Kiki arrives into the village, almost everything goes into a different way. This is considerate as a positive point since Shimizu didn’t try to copycat Miyazaki’s version. The little witch still tries to find her way into the world as she goes through puberty and deals many conflicting emotions. The thing about Kiki’s Delivery Service that it inserted stimulating subplots. Of course, it’s not that all of them were successful but it was enough to distinguish itself from the Ghibli Studio’s version.
Koshiba Fuka who played Kiki was convincing acting wise but that doesn’t apply on the aging criteria. She didn’t look like a 13 year-old in any way. However her co-star Hirota Ryohei was very believable as Tombo, he definitely shined better than the main character in this version. Some other characters were altered but it wasn’t very serious.
The CGI could be acceptable but the talking cat looked so fake that my eyes got hurt. Shimizu Takashi, better known as one of Japan’s horror films master decided to go with a family production this time and he did rather well with his angles and settings, if only the CGI was better handled.
Watch if:
-You like to see another version of the outstanding Miyazaki piece.
-You like family films in general.
Do not watch this if:
-You’re looking for a replicate.
-You dislike live action adaptations.
Kiki’s delivery Service is an okay family film. It differs from Ghibli Studio’s iconic animation even if it shares the same concept.
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A MUST WATCH!! ??????
Okay!! First of all... i love Xu Kai. I'm not being biased now, I'm going to be straight with you. This is one of the best dramas so far. The chemistry between Li Ni and Cui Lin is WOW!!..FABULOUS!!!!. You'd think they're a real couple outside the drama. The story line was straight to the point, no unnecessary stretchs and their love was so mature and sweet, you'd want to get into a relationship because of them. And the song was beautiful.. perfect for the drama.. i don't know the director or writer but God bless you for this masterpiece!!!.. I can't wait to see what Xu Kai has in store for us next. Oh! And the bromance in the group. ... FABULOUS!! You would feel every emotion, both the sad, happy and even jealousy. It was amazing!!!!Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
It started out well and then it just went downhill. It was such a disappointment in the end.The acting was really unnatural, especially the two male leads. When they cried and laughed it was so forced. Some scenes were also very fake. They were handsome and that's about it. You can't survive on eye candy alone. Even the side characters acted better.
The whole idea of the plot was good, when you read about it. But when you watch it you're like "what's happening?". They rush from one scene in the other. The story was really mixed up.
I hated the ending. The story ended when it just began. I want to complain more about the ending but I don't want to add any spoilers.
Totally wasted my time. It was my first boys love movie and I really regret watching it. I'm not recommending this to anyone, really.
Btw: I'm an artist and they really ridiculed a real artist :(.
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This review may contain spoilers
10 DANCE: When Rivalry Becomes Romance
I came to this film as a manga reader, and honestly, I was nervous. The source material is one of those rare BL stories that takes both the sport and the romance seriously: two professional dancers at the peak of their careers, forced to master each other’s specialties to survive the brutal 10 Dance format. The tension between Suzuki and Sugiki works because they are genuine equals, clashing on and off the floor. Translating that to live action felt like a huge risk, especially for the dancing, which is the backbone of the story.I went in as a Keita Machida fan and came out obsessed with Ryoma Takeuchi too. Machida’s Sugiki is all control and precision, the Standard champion who keeps everything ruthlessly locked down. Takeuchi’s Suzuki has the swagger and physicality you expect from a Latin dancer, but there is real emotional fragility underneath the bravado. What sells it is how fully committed they both are to the actual dancing. This is not actors faking it with doubles; you can see the work in their bodies in every movement.
The dance sequences are where everything clicks. There is an early rehearsal where Suzuki teaches Sugiki a rumba walk, and you catch every tiny adjustment in posture, every weight shift, every moment where Sugiki’s stiffness starts to melt. The camera stays close enough that you see the hand placements, the tension in their frames, and the way their bodies have to negotiate through touch. Later, when Sugiki has to follow instead of lead in the Viennese waltz, the frustration in his face and body says everything about his terror of surrender. By the final performance, they are pulling together everything they have taken from each other: Suzuki’s fire braided with Standard discipline, Sugiki’s control flooded with Latin heat. It is technically impressive, but it hits hardest because these two people who have been orbiting each other finally move as one.
What grounds all of this is the specific reality of competitive ballroom. This world is rigid and hierarchical, built on traditional gender roles, fixed lead and follow dynamics, and heteronormative partnerships. When two men dance together as equals, swapping lead and follow and treating each other as true partners instead of rivals, that is not just romantic. It is disruptive. Choosing connection in a space designed around comparison and ranking reads as its own quiet act of defiance.
The chemistry between Takeuchi and Machida is ridiculous. Every charged look, every lingering touch during practice, every moment where competition blurs into something else feels inevitable but never cheap. The restraint makes it sharper. You are leaning forward, waiting for them to close the distance, and when they finally dance together in that last sequence, the intimacy lands like a confession even though the film stays relatively chaste. That is how you do slow burn in BL: the choreography carries the confession the script never verbalizes.
And yes, this should have been a series. The ending is both satisfying and maddening. You get emotional payoff, but it is very clearly only a midpoint in their story. There is so much more to explore, professionally, romantically, and psychologically, that you can practically feel the missing episodes. It plays less like closure and more like a pilot still waiting for its next season.
I have read the critics calling it too cautious, joking that it needed a chastity coordinator, and faulting it for not fully committing as a queer romance. As an exercise in pure film criticism, you can argue the caution. But as a BL viewer who knows what this genre usually delivers on screen, this is still the standout BL film of the year. The bar for BL cinema is often pretty, tropey, and thin, especially on the big screen. 10 DANCE aims higher, even if it does not swing for the fences in every area.
Most BL gives you surface romance with minimal character work and sports as aesthetic wallpaper. This gives you complicated adults with real ambitions and vulnerabilities, a romance built on mutual respect and earned connection, and dance sequences that actually move the story forward. The restraint reads as maturity, not timidity. The slow burn feels compelling rather than withholding because the film trusts you to read the subtext: to understand what a lingering touch means, to catch the shifts in frame and footwork, and to feel the weight of what never gets said out loud. That is sophisticated storytelling, and it is exactly what this genre needs more of.
If you loved the manga, this respects the core while making smart, medium specific adaptation choices. If you are new to 10 DANCE, it is a gorgeous entry point. And if you care about BL that is ambitious, technically crafted, and emotionally literate, this is essential viewing. Just be ready for that final stretch to leave you desperate for a sequel, and probably already drafting your comment to Netflix asking for one.
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BEST SHORT HISTO ROMANCE !
What new can this drama bring to the K-histo landscape? This is the question I asked myself before launching it, because I know that even if we have fewer historical dramas than modern ones, most of them all look alike, because they belong to history in general.Here, we are fully in a fantasized vision of an uninhibited Joseon. Indeed, the use of a famous book containing very erotic illustrations seems to break the usual rules. It would almost be like in "Bridgerton" Korean version on some aspects. The tone is quickly set: here, we will not talk about politics, but about marriage! And even if often the two go hand in hand, the drama chooses to focus simply on the romantic aspect by exploiting the sexuality (and its discovery) of the women of the Royal Palace. Of course, at first, it's weird, but something keeps us in suspense right away: THE CASTING!
With a cast like this, the acting was superb, both from the point of view of emotions and the chemistry between the couples because of the close ages. Exit just the baby cries of Go Ara I will never get used to it I think lol but otherwise she totally has her place in history, she played so well! Chang RYUL I have no more words... He totally carried the drama with his charisma, his mysterious side; independent and his benevolence!
There is not much to say about this ten-episode drama, because it does not dwell on heavy issues such as wars or politics. We are here immersed in a gentle work, like a bold fairy tale, narrated with delicacy throughout the episodes. The story of the princess and her companions of the Palace is revealed little by little, revealing loves, friendships and deceptions that intertwave with finesse.
The story highlights women who, despite the marital constraints of the time, fight for their rights and independence. It is clear that the drama places the woman at the center of its plot, thus addressing an audience eager for stories that correspond to her. I spent a wonderful time in front of this series, seduced by the richness of each character, each of whom is distinguished by his own interest. The romances, all marked by their singular charm, intertaine while the main relationship is distinguished by a POWERFUL chemistry.
The visuals, on occasion, transport us, especially during memorable scenes, such as the hang gliding walk. In addition, the twists come at the right time, keeping the suspense brilliantly. I highly recommend this drama to those who appreciate light history and wish to take a break with too complex plots.
However: lightness does not mean heavy humor! Here we laugh at the right dose :)
Go for it because you will see what an UNCOMPLEXED and FREE history is!
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