Reviews

left no lasting positive impression (watch suggestions)

Overall: I enjoyed the country/beach setting, but the bratty ML and cliched plot points were annoying. 9 episodes about 24 minutes each. Aired on Viki https://www.viki.com/tv/40928c-impression-of-youth ; iQIYI https://www.iq.com/play/impression-of-youth-episode-1-rfcqsvgnbk?lang=en_us ; and Apple TV+ https://tv.apple.com/show/impression-of-youth/umc.cmc.3q2hki0rbshbgwxs4s4rnnivz

Content Warnings: past death, grief, high school/substitute teacher (not portrayed as creating a power imbalance but this dynamic inherently has one), non con kiss

Watch Suggestions (I don't have the energy to back thru the first few episodes, here are suggestions starting at ep 6 to focus on sweet/steamy parts)
- episode 6 start at 20 min
- episode 7 watch beginning to 4:40, 11:20-11:45, 15:10-17:30, 21:20-end
- episode 8 stop at 11:50
- episode 9 watch 23:20-end

What I Liked
- easy to understand premise
- sibling relationship/suppportive, the older brother gave good advice in ep 9
- shirtless construction work
- countryside/beach setting
- intimacy, not afraid to shower together

Room For Improvement
- the pacing with the main relationship development went way too fast, it felt jarring
- too many flashbacks of recent events/repeated flashbacks/of a character who died
- used his friend like that to confirm his feelings
- normally a 4-5 year age gap (the teacher was graduating university so ~22, in episode 8 they confirmed the age of the high schooler so he was 18 when the series started) wouldn't bother me, but the high school student acted so young (pouty, moping, bratty, refused to communicate, even his brother said he was throwing a tantrum) and the fact that they made the older guy his teacher (even though it was a short substitute position, he was still his teacher) made me not invested in their relationship
- too much screentime taken up in flashback with his female friend in episode 7
- the 2 year time jump in the final episode, but at least it wasn't longer
- the ending with the main couple felt anticlimactic/incomplete

Read More

Just okay

I watch many Thai dramas so I wasn’t expecting much maybe something cliche but this one was different. In the beginning you can feel the chemistry between the leads and you get excited about where things will lead but.........

the good:. It most certainly started out on an interesting note. The pacing is pretty good, the situation‘s are good and interesting as well. The leads seem to have really good chemistry.

The bad: for a 16 episode romance drama, the mood was often somber. The the end of the series our leads are still going back and forth with their stance of commitment which was disappointing. Last but not least, the ending was less than enjoyable. It was vague and gives no closure. To sum it up, we have that famous until we meet again theme in the very last episode which ruined it for me.

I thing it’s okay to watch but definitely not a rewatch or one I’d recommend.

Read More

I am totally in love with this drama!

The main characters interact great with each other and show good acting skills. They fight for there dreams from the beginning 'till the end and try to help each other and their friends as much as possible.
The other characters also have a great chemistry with everyone else. There are many different kind of persons so i think every viewer can find some character to compare themselves to. Even the more 'unlikeable' characters will grow to your heart for sure ;)

The storyline is sweet and shows how to chase after dreams and find friends and lovers. They also talk about relationships with familys eventhough they have a busy schedule training and helping their friends out. From narcisstic to shy characters, this drama has them all!
If i would have to choose some keywords for this show it would be: friendship, dream, past, trust and fun.

It also seems that they really worked hard to portrait the life of actual swimmers trying to become professional - they did a great job!

The music is one of the points i reaally loved in this drama too. Nice music and the main characters are singing some of the songs!^^

Totally recommend this drama, you won't waste your time for those 36 episodes:)

Read More

Charming and well-written

I loved this series, mainly becaus of the stellar main pair of Tinn and Gun, played by Gemini Norawit and Fouth Nattawat to perfection as teens experiencing first love.

The side characters are all well-written and acted, especially Tinn's mother, who is the school principal, and everyone has to love Mark Pakin as Tinn's best friend Tiw.

The story is wholly unoriginal, but it's the best realization of this type of plot.

The actors also sing all the music, which is always a plus., with Ford Arun being the standout, although Fourth & Gemini both have lovely voices too.

This is not a world where homophobia doesn't exist (although it only barely exists), and issues like parental concern over the future happiness of their gay children, or whether or not they did anything wrong, were all realistic and sensitively handled.

What prevented this from entering the top rank of BLs, however, is that although this contained one of the most breathtaking scenes in all of BL - the dance - you'll know it when you see it, and the progression of Tinn and Gun's relationship was magical, it peaked early and stagnated, leaving the second half at a lower energy level and at times quite dull. I don't need kissing in a high school story, but I know that I do not want an endless string of kiss fake-outs, which is cheap and started to feel homophobic.

The central dramatic conflict, that the music club's rules forbid Gun to date before a competition at the end of the year is contrived and the path to the context uninteresting, and the overreaction to a setback for the band was one of the only sour notes that felt out of character and lacked the authenticity of the rest of the series.

Fourth is so cute that there were a couple of time I cried a little just looking at him - that outfit at the prom was fatal. I'm really looking forward to seeing more of him and Gemini - they are both highly talented, and easily hold their own with more experienced actors here and even in Midnight Chicken.

I would rate the first four eps a 15/10, then declining to around a 7, hence the 8.5. The first few episodes were so good I thought this would displace all others and become my favorite of all time - but unfortunately it deflated a bit as it progressed. Still, I wouldn't hesistate to recommend this to anyone and everyone.

Read More

Story: The story was serious, deep, and emotional, but it was so good. It raises awareness for topics that are still seen as Taboo in a lot of places. This is about establishing cause and effect. For every cause there is an effect, for every action there is a consequence. This is about the consequences of Keng’s actions. First you have Keng, that on the outside was this serious, hardworking but kind student that tried to help anyone that needed it. But on the inside because of a lack of love from his parents, he became (for lack of better words) controlling and a little psychotic. Then you have Shin, who is this kind, sweet kid who always tries his hardest with everything he does. Then there’s Shins 2 best friends Bright and Pramote who stood up for Shin, and were just 2 amazing friends. I rated this a 9.5 because the story brings up serious issues that aren’t spoken about a lot. The only thing that could have made this show better is for it to be longer, and to have some kind of closure instead of it ending the way it did, on a cliffhanger.

Acting/Cast:
James (Shin)- He was lovable and sweet. He played a perfect Shin and had the audience loving his character and personality. This meant that when he got hurt, the audience was just as upset, wanting to comfort him, and hated Keng for hurting him. It takes a really good actor to play to the audiences emotions like that.
—Oat (Keng)- Again, it takes a really good actor to play to the audiences emotions like that. He made us like him in the first episode, but as we saw a change in his character, the audiences attitudes towards him changed with it. Then when he did what he did at the end of episode 2, we hated him deeply for hurting Shin. He’s such a powerful and believable actor. I hope to see him again in other dramas.
—Yacht (Bright)- The cool, fun and quirky side of him made the show much better. It’s even better when you know the personality of Bright and Yacht, are the same, which made him perfect for the role.
—Topicorn (Pramote)- Like Oat, I really do hope to see Topicorn in future dramas. He was really sweet, but loyal to his friends. Although he often seemed quite serious, you could tell he cared for Bright and Shin a lot.

Music: Good effects, and background sounds, but nothing that memorable.

Rewatch value: I think this is a show you only need to watch once or twice. I can’t see myself rewatching this for a while.

Overall: I gave it a 9, because although the casts were perfect, the show could have been longer, and I wish it had better opening music. Also, while I’m happy it stuck to the novel, I really wish the ending had been different. Other than that I would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a short, but hard hitting drama to watch.

Read More

If you have a friend who's never seen a BL film, I'd start them off with this one because this is story is what this genre's all about. I went from gushing at the romance of the main characters to crying for the entire second half of the film. I really identified with the unrequited love aspect and having to leave your high school sweetheart behind because your parents made you move. It's unforgivingly sad toward the end, but not in an entirely unrealistic way. I want to watch it again, but I don't want to *feel* as much again and I don't think that I'd be able to control myself to be honest.

Read More

Waited 2 years and it was worth the wait (for me at least hahaha)

Honestly, I have been waiting for 2 years for this show, and all of a sudden it just airs! I was so happy to watch another Allen Ren drama.

Plot:
The story plot is a normal undercover police drama you would watch. It is about an undercover police officer who tries to dismantle a drug ring from the inside. The plot was very consistent with Mu Qing slowly dismantling the drug ring by taking out each of the members in the "shi da jing gan". This slowly leads to his identity being exposed, but he isn't ready to give up! (not gonna explain more, but this is where I am now) :)

[SPOILER] We find out that Ou Kexin is not actually the real Ou Kexin, she is actually Mu Qing/Yuan Wen's ex-wife who did not actually die in the explosion, she just underwent face surgery and took on the role of Ou Kexin and is another undercover police in the drug ring in Yun Gang. [SPOILER]

Ending: They left us at a cliffhanger... I am soooo CONFUSED!!!!

Cast:

I really liked the cast, each played their character very well. Allen Ren who played Mu Qing/Yuan Wen was amazing as usual. His eye contact was totally everything, even though his contract states that he isn't doing any kissing scenes, his actions say enough, and it's worth it! Additionally, Allen ren had some really good fight scenes and he was able to express his emotions very well.

Ou Kexin, played by Janine Chang was also good, however, I think they overdubbed her a little too much. I thought her actual voice would've suited the drama much better. But overall, she was great and I loved seeing those two as a pair :)

The side characters either from the 84 team or the members in the drug ring all did a good job playing their roles. I thought that the "84 team" didn't get enough screen time (especially for Rong Yao to tell them who their undercover agents were like we completely didn't get to see that which I believed was important). Overall, the cast did amazing.

Music:
10/10 - music fit the mood throughout the drama

Rewatch Value:
8/10 - for police, action, and undercover-related dramas I believe that rewatching is not worth it because you already know what's going to happen, however, there are certain episodes I would go back and watch just for Allen Ren hahaha!

Read More

One of the best costume dramas in 2023

For me, this is one of the best costume dramas in 2023. Below are my points of view about the drama:

Pros:
* Great acting. Ma Tian Yu, Angelababy and other cast are all good choice for their roles. They portrayed their roles very well. Especially, Ma Tian Yu used to successfully play a similar complex character like Ji Rou Chen so he is perfect in playing his role in this drama.
* Great story, exciting plots, no dragging scenes with unnecessary characters or details.
* Wonderful chemistry between the two main leads, lovely and passionate romantic scenes.

Cons:
* Not a high budget invested drama so the CGI, costumes and cinematography are not as good as high budget dramas.
* The male lead, Ji Rou Chen, is an anti-routine character so the audience can easily misunderstand him as a bad character in the beginning. Patient and non-judgment/bias are needed to watch and enjoy this drama till the end.

Read More

Spicy and Sweet

This drama was really the perfect mix of 18+ scenes and sweet ones as well. I loved the topics it discussed and how it was focused on sex from a female perspective, that was so nice to see! It was educating too but it still had a great story.

I loved the two couples, the two female leads were very different from each other and it was so great to see them supporting each other through the relationships and everything. The two male leads were both walking green flags and also absolute eye-candies. ;)

I think the drama ended well although I definitely wouldn't mind if it got a second season.

Read More

Beautiful, mature, romantic relationship; Amazing plot with great characters

This show is made really well. Every character (even minor ones that are on screen for less time) adds to the overall story. They all bring their A game and makes us love or hate them.

One thing that I love, love about this show is how unpretentious the love story between LD and Zhuohua is. What I mean by this is, in most C-dramas, (not all) the romantic couple acts as if hugging, touching, or kissing is not normal. Even when they are together as a couple, they act all shocked when they "mistakenly" touch each other. Lol this always annoys me and feels pretentious for no reason.

In legend of zhuohua however, LD and Zhuohua interact like normal people who are attracted to each other. Like normal people who are in love and are dating. That carriage scene (when she fell on his lap) was so beautifully done. How zhuohua didn't try to "act" all shy and "modest" She just held unto her man and they kept talking. It was very natural. Their love and interactions is very natural. I hope more C-dramas follow this, and start realizing it's normal for couples that are dating, to touch. And stop with the over the top, fake "modesty".

The ML and FL are very supportive of eachother and communicate well. LD/Prince regeant could easily be overbearing since he's older, wiser, and he's only second to the Emperor. but this doesn't happen. I love how ML supports FL (Even when he knows she's wrong), he's letting her handle things in her own way, not contradicting her in public, or treating her as if she's a child with no sense. He's not being overbearing with the "I know what's best for you" trope/cliche most C-dramas are fond of doing.

lol I love the running joke of the great LD/Prince Regeant (ML) being a kept man out of wedlock.

I only give this a 9 because of the overly done makeup, and the annoying loud azz music over the character speaking at the end of the show.

Read More

One of the most impactful dramas I've seen in a while!

Note: It doesn't really contain spoilers of the story, but I wanted to list the trigger warnings (that may cover on various scenarios that happen) that might be important for someone to know before they jump into this series.

I don't generally write reviews much, as it's hard to find the time/passion lately! But when a series or movie manages to amaze me to the point I actually WANT to scream about how much I like it, then it's hard to resist writing about it just in case somebody might be wondering whether this drama is for them.

I won't deny, this is probably one of the heaviest series I've watched in a while, as it touches on some topics that can be quite hard to take in, so firstly, here's a list of trigger warnings of the themes you can expect before you decide to take the plunge; suicide, bullying, depression, excessive violence, gore, hazing, sexual harrassment, blood, abuse, genocide, kidnapping, torture... please let me know if there's any I missed out!

This short drama has fast became one of my favorites after I binged it in two days flat (everyone who knows me is aware I usually can't concentrate on more than one ep a day of something lmao). From the outset, the cinematography and the way it was filmed and directed was absolutely captivating. The opening scene alone is uncomfortable, and subsequently sets the tone for the rest of the drama throughout, one which leads to a two-part crescendo that just rendered me speechless by the closing scene of the final episode. This paired with the phenomenal acting that had me on the edge of my seat throughout made this drama one of the most gripping, intense and exciting experiences I've had watching something in some time. The various guest appearances round out an already fantastic cast of top-class actors, all of whom impressed me immensely and only added further to my great level of immersion.

Thankfully the drama is not all violence, blood and abuse, as between the heavy scenes there is also dashes of light humor to break the tension, for the most part thanks to Koo Kyo Hwan's character Han Ho Yeol, who buddies up with Jung Hae In's soft-hearted character Ahn Joon Ho in order to track down and bring back soldiers who have deserted the military for various reasons. And this is the majority of the structure it follows, with each episode focusing on their various expeditions all while it slowly and gradually builds to a fantastic yet shocking climax.

I have to admit that although 6 episodes is a perfect length for the story it told, I still do find myself hankering for more, especially after thoroughly enjoying the duo dynamic between both the main leads as well as their various hijinks. Personally I can hold out hoping for a spin-off or a second season, but even if that doesn't materialize, I am happy to have encountered such a well-written masterpiece, which I hope many other people will also be able to appreciate!

Read More

romance with representation

Overall: I enjoyed the leads' dynamic and the representation, but it felt disjointed at times and could have picked up the pace/removed cliched plot points. 13 episodes about 25 minutes each. Aired on GagaOOLala (not Taiwan, Korea or Japan) https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/4835/see-you-love-2024-e01 ; Viki https://www.viki.com/tv/40788c-see-your-love ; iQIYI https://www.iq.com/play/see-your-love-episode-1-dznrqstnns?lang=en_us ; WeTV https://wetv.vip/en/play/rigkbvj5a6vdcj1 - make sure to watch the post credit scenes in episode 13 (the finale)

Content Warnings: attempted murder, discrimination, fight, stalking, sexual assault, fight, non con touching, punch, harassment, violence, manhandling

Watch Suggestions (gets rid of cliched plot and nonsense antagonist stuff)
- watch episodes 1-4
- in episode 5 skip 1:15-13:40 (moping)
- episode 6 watch beginning to 3:30 and 14:10 to the end
- watch episode 7
- episode 8 watch 6:30-11
- episode 9 watch 6:45-8:45 and 10-19
- episode 10 watch 5-9:40 and 11:30-end
- episode 11 watch beginning to 3, 9-10:20, 11:05-17 and 20:20-end
- episode 12 watch 3:50-20:50
- episode 13 watch 10:30-14:30, 16-end and watch post credit scenes at 31 minutes

What I Liked
- the lead characters and their dynamic
- supportive family & friend
- representation (I'm not an expert, however it felt realistic)
- sweet/caring moments
- good intimacy in episodes 11 and 13 in particular
- comedy moments (subverted tropes, the parents and what they did in their home, though not sure the purpose unless it was just a prank)
- Plus & Minus cameo (the bartender)
- realistic that the 1 dad didn't do a 180
- wrapped up the characters well in the finale (though the whole beginning part/that plot was unnecessary in my opinion)

Room For Improvement
- the comedy tone didn't always blend well with the serious parts and was not a fan of the frequent comedy sound effects
- pacing could have been tighter (airing 2 episodes per week would have helped with this)
- I couldn't support the side couple based on something and then they waited way too long to reveal a key piece of information (post credits in episode 13)
- the villains thinking/actions made no sense, felt 'because the writer said so'
- inconsistent world building, how did a character not know something in episode 3 during a video call
- too much moping in episode 5
- episode 6 felt disjointed with the two plots
- nonsense stuff (it was broad daylight and suddenly total darkness/night)
- business stuff/meetings I cared nothing about
- too many flashbacks
- too many near kisses/long stares
- too many voiceovers
- cliche female characters actions though there was character growth
- started episode 13 with a recap and then a flashforward

Read More

Stranger 2 : adequately fulfilling on it's journey to Stranger 3

Finally, it is all I could think at the start of Stranger 2, three years later, and it was captivating as I expected it to be, worthy of the over three-year wait. Having Lee Chang Joon's voiceover to start the episode was just brilliant. A reminder that the road to justice is long and rife with political tension. And, of course, where there is a crime to be solved, there is Hwang Shi Mok. I loved it. I always enjoy how he meticulously observes, sizes up a situation before questioning or jumping to conclusions. It was also thrilling to see Bae Doo Na reprise her role as Han Yeo Jin, love her with long hair, and Detective Jang. I love seeing them all at work; they click intuitively.

It's always great to see a woman in roles typically given to men and Jeon Hye Jin at that. I couldn't wait to see what she brought to the show as the police and ever-powerful prosecution office fought over independent investigative authority. I've always thought it quite weird how the prosecution had sole jurisdiction. So, I was interested to see how the fight would go down and how it would affect Shi Mok and Yeo Jin's fight against injustice. I am always ready when it comes to these two. And of course, Stranger 2 did not disappoint in how it tackled all the issues it presented, from coverups to police and prosecution corruptions to the embedded unscrupulous accepted and worse expected societal norms that hurt more than they help in junior/senior to rich/poor treatments and relationships. And I think what I find hardest to reconcile since I started watching k-dramas is that exactly -- the disappointments in the embedded unscrupulous accepted societal norms.

I loved the many twists and turned in this second installment but, more so, how differently the whole team handled the second season. I was glad to see that it was not a sequence of the first but rather a continued effort to justice's long and politically charged journey. And to see that journey can to an emotional ending as it hopefully continues to its next chapter to an incredibly penned, directed, acted, edited, and produced drama. The beginning and ending words of Lee Chang Joon sum season 2, SM and YJ, entirely—“Doggedly chasing after the truth and marching towards what’s right is a never-ending process. To stop for a moment is to fail. Marching towards change is like having two needles on your feet, with an invisible thread trailing after you, never stopping for breath as you march on. In the belief that a sliver of hope is better than immeasurable despair, we move forward with every determination once again.” This drama called attention to how arrogance, ignorance, and incompetence can, in mere seconds, bring down one’s life work (Chief Choi and Prosecutor Tae Woo). But at the same time, it showed us that one should never give up hope; it’s the light to a better and more fulfilled future for all involved. “Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.” —Desmund Tutu.

As sad as I was as excited for how it started and ended—strong and proud. I especially revered Chief Prosecutor Kang Won Cheol for standing tall for what matters most and putting his juniors before himself; that’s a mark of a true leader. As they say, it’s only after you’ve stepped outside your comfort zone that you begin to change, grow, and transform. Chief Kang’s last act was a reminder that it’s easy even for the best of us to be swayed and lose our way, but the courage is in acknowledging it and getting back on track. It takes a lot of courage to do what he did. LYJ Hanjo’s leader’s reaction to his resignation said it all. She underestimated him for sure, and his final words struck her worse than if she’d been hit by one of those kdrama white trucks of doom. Undoubtedly one of the best crime dramas ever, now and forever. Solid character arcs, acting, development, and portrayals, even SDJ’s character. I cannot wait for season three, finishing what Lee Chang Joon started with a takedown of Hanjo Group. Shi Mok's dream at the finale for me captured everything Stranger 1 and 2 stand for— Hope. I will miss this drama until its next installment and highly recommend both seasons if you haven't watched them yet. Not one disappointing episode.

Read More