This review may contain spoilers
The prequel was one of the best romance dramas, balancing heartfelt romance without sacrificing the characters’ personal growth and ambitions. So now, let’s see how Ethan and Joy’s story continues… The story picks up in the spring of 2020. Ethan travels from Hong Kong to Calgary, Canada, to reunite with Joy, who is working hard to build a life there. Deeply in love, Ethan eventually proposes to her. However, their happiness is soon disrupted when the global COVID-19 pandemic strikes, locking down borders and bringing the world to a standstill.
Ethan gets stranded in Canada. With no way back and no income, he moves in with Joy. The pressure starts building fast. His bar in Hong Kong goes bankrupt while he’s away, leaving him with nothing. He takes on low-paying, menial jobs just to survive. A year later, tragedy strikes again—he finds out his father has contracted COVID-19 back home. He rushes back, but arrives too late. His father passes away before they can say goodbye.
Overwhelmed by grief, loneliness, and financial ruin, Ethan makes a terrible mistake—he has a one-night stand. Joy finds out during a video call. Heartbroken, she breaks off the engagement. Their relationship collapses, and both are left in pain.
Three years have passed. The world slowly recovers from the pandemic. Joy is now working at a nursing care facility in Canada, fully focused on her lifelong dream: passing the exams to become a registered nurse in the United States.
One day, while picking up a friend at the airport, she unexpectedly runs into Ethan—and Jhim. They’ve both come to Canada looking for fresh opportunities. Through a series of awkward, unplanned encounters, Joy and Ethan are thrown back into each other’s lives.
In order to help Ethan secure long-term residency in Canada—and perhaps to deal with her own unresolved feelings—Joy proposes a crazy arrangement: they will live together and pretend to be common-law partners for a year. Ethan agrees.
As time passes, Joy begins to notice how much Ethan has changed. He has become more mature, humble, and selfless, even volunteering at her nursing home. Eventually, Joy learns from Jhim what Ethan truly went through during the three years they spent apart.
As they navigate their unresolved feelings, bittersweet news arrives: Joy’s application to move to the United States has finally been approved. Her dream is within reach. Heartbroken but unwilling to stand in the way of her lifelong dream again, Ethan quietly accepts the possibility that this may truly be their final goodbye.
So, what happens next?
Will Joy leave for the U.S., chasing the future she’s worked so hard for?
Or will she choose love—and stay?
That's pretty much the story without giving anymore spoilers.
What I like:
+ Once again, one of the best romance movies….
+ The chemistry between Alden Richards & Kathryn Bernardo is still on fire…
+ Still happy to see how close-knit the Filipino immigrant community is. Even while living far away from home, they continue to support, comfort, and stand by each other like one big family.
+ Happy with the ending… We finally really get the ending between Joy & Ethan…
Overall if you're really a romance junkie like me, this one the movie you need to watch. Haha…
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This review may contain spoilers
What is your goal in life?
This is an exceptionally human drama, and I loved it from beginning to end. What impressed me most was how deeply developed the characters were by the end! You can actually feel the momentum of their growth as the story progresses, and that’s something surprisingly rare. Every character changes, struggles, and learns, and those transformations feel completely earned.At its core, the drama is about friendship, ambition, life goals, and the dreams we spend years chasing. Dong-man is such a profoundly human character. He is flawed, desperate, insecure, and often lost, but that is exactly what makes him so relatable. He carries a deep inferiority complex and constantly wants to be seen as an equal to those around him. In his own unorthodox way, he keeps trying to prove his worth, even when his methods are questionable. You can feel how desperately he wants to make a movie and prove himself. Through his journey, the drama explores a truth many people experience: we often believe that achieving a certain goal will finally make us happy, only to discover that reality is more complicated. The accomplishment feels good, but it is not exactly what we imagined. What matters most is the person we become in the process. By the end, Dong-man has truly found himself and finally overcomes many of the insecurities that have defined him for so long.
One of my favorite aspects of the drama was Dong-man’s relationship with Park Yeong-sae. Their friendship feels painfully real. They were best friends when they stood on equal ground, but once one of them became successful while the other was seen as a failure, everything changed. They became competitors as much as friends. They judged each other, compared themselves constantly, and gradually lost parts of the people they used to be. It is an uncomfortable but honest portrayal of how relationships can be affected by success, failure, and insecurity.
His relationship with Euna is also worth mentioning. He genuinely cares about her, relates to her in many ways, and often wants to be her protector. Euna carries her own trauma surrounding abandonment, and it is heartbreaking to watch how much she struggles with her sense of self. Despite her pain, she remains a voice of kindness and empathy. She instinctively understands the feelings of others, even though she has spent much of her life cutting through people’s stories and emotions with harsh honesty—a trait that was even considered a talent in her profession.
As the drama progresses, she becomes increasingly aware of how deeply words can wound others, and there is a visible discomfort whenever she is forced to do that again. At the same time, she struggles to understand her own emotions. She is deeply sensitive and easily hurt by criticism, rejection, and the inhumanity she encounters in others. Her journey is one of self-discovery and emotional awareness. By the end of the drama, her growth is remarkable: she is finally able to recognize, understand, and name her feelings instead of expressing them only through physical symptoms. Her character development is subtle, realistic, and incredibly moving.
The drama understands that life is messy. We all have goals. We all carry trauma. We compare ourselves to others, even when we know we shouldn’t. We are hurt by people’s words, and yet we keep trying. Every character in this story is fighting for something, and every struggle feels meaningful.
The relationship between Dong-man and his older brother was particularly moving. The two brothers are almost opposites. While Dong-man still clings to dreams and possibilities, his brother is focused entirely on survival. His desperation is heartbreaking. He works endlessly just to fill the gaps in his life and keep going. He doesn’t live to enjoy life anymore; he lives simply to endure it. Their contrast feels very true to the experience of many siblings. The older one often carries burdens that are different from those of the younger one, but both are trying in their own way. That simple act of continuing to try becomes one of the drama’s most powerful themes.
If I were rating purely based on rewatch value, I would probably give it a 5/10. Not because it isn’t excellent, but because it is such a heavy and emotionally exhausting watch. You can feel the characters’ desperation, disappointment, and hopes as if they were your own. It activates your empathy in a way few dramas manage to do. I genuinely don’t know if I’ll be able to rewatch it, because it hurts in a way that feels almost too real. 🥲
Ultimately, this is a drama about people trying their best despite failure, disappointment, and uncertainty. It is deeply human, deeply compassionate, and unforgettable. I don’t know if I’ll ever rewatch it, but I know I won’t forget it. Few dramas have made me empathize so deeply with every character’s struggles, failures, and hopes. It hurt, but in the best possible way.
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Unrealistic plot
Too repetitive scenes of the past, wasting time rewatching the past, and not in the characters' evolution, solving situations in a sudden, fantasy way, making it very difficult to identify with.Great cast, great performances, wasted in an unrealistic, impossible to believe, even in the wildest dreams.
They missed the opportunity to develop the growth from childhood dreams to adulthood reality.
It's a shame
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Started really great but storyline just usual cliche
LIKEHilarious the role playing game when Sun Jia Yi choked on her drink and characters paused
When the second Anna character met B team Qin Xiao Yi
When Hu Xiu realised Xiao Zhi Yu rented her apartment and she trolled him lol
The actors so into their role playing
The Haha big fool so funny!!
When Xiao Rou got slapped Guang Ming did not even react
When Hu Xiu vent her frustrations on “QXY”
When Hu Xiu scolded Xiao Zhi Yu during the murder game for being indecisive - I teared
I’m from downstair’s convenience store you just purchased a toothpaste lol
Pei Zhen is actually a good person but with a bad Dad
DISLIKE
Storyline towards the end just the same old plot
MUSIC
Nice but not to my liking
REWATCH VALUE
Five for now
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I really cant bealive....,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,......................................................................................................
I don't understand how you can enjoy something that is violence and rape??? Therefore, you are as sick as the screenwriter of this stupid series and the director. You should see a psychiatrist
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Should have been 32 episodes - too much cliches
LIKEThe Master of Souls' idea is quite good
Duan Xu got guts woots! One person go to enemy’s camp
When they exchanged five senses hmm quite good each time
When Si Mu got attacked wow that scene
DISLIKE
Mostly quite expected a little disappointed as I'm a Xian Xia's fan
Gui Xu part slowed down a little and I got bored too
MUSIC - personal fav
最后再靠近 Zui Hou Zai Kao Jin - 金玟岐 Jin Wen Qi
引月Yin Yue - LUMi
万灵之上 Wan Ling Zhi Shang - 黄霄雲 Huang Xiao Yun
逢春 Feng Chun - 周蕙 Zhou Hui
若能在你眼中 Ruo Neng Zai Ni Yan Zhong - 刘宇宁 Liu Yu Ning
初醒 Chu Xing - 周深 Zhou Shen
REWATCH VALUE
Five for now
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This review may contain spoilers
Remorse arc was my favourite part of the story
I wrote a review for Huang Bo - Mao Xiang Lin drama on my notebook when I watched it close to 6 months ago. Too bad there are no links for this drama. They collab another time but I think my notes are for this drama because the other drama's opening scene looked unfamiliar to me. Hope this review is for the right drama.What I liked:
1. Remorse - I must say this part of the story was my favourite. ML did his best to make up for his wrongdoings.
2. Acting - My first time watching Mao Xiang Lin and I really liked her acting. Huang Bo was great in particular when his character was remorseful and uncertain.
3. Romance - Second chance romance with ML putting a lot of effort & sincerity.
4. Styling - I liked when FL wore black dress with black hat. Loved her shoes. I also liked Huang Bo's hairstyle.
5. Supporting characters - I liked Xie Ming Chen.
What I disliked:
1. Antagonist - SFL was pathetic. Taking credit for something she never did & scheming to trap ML & harm FL. Her arc was too long.
2. Kissing - It's weird that kissing scenes were shot with Huang Bo blocking Ma Xiang Lin. Maybe she wasn't comfortable?
3. FL's action - Going alone in Shi Zao Zao presence was bad move.
Favourite scene
When FL confronted ML at the rooftop
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When Gu Xun helped Qian Ling during costume party unexpected so funny
Omg why would Gu Xun say that when he is on a mike let the whole school hears
When Gu Xun found out the truth about Xiao Ma Hua during shooting game lol
When Xiao Ma Hua complained what Gu Xun did - what the boys group said in group chat
Hilarious the passwords for usb
Immortal afraid of cockroach??
Games at KTV quite interesting
Cake cutting seasion HHHHAaaa
Why does the portrait look like Hu Yi Tian omg
Cheesy sia the scenes Hahahahah
DISLIKE
This Qian Ling when she is pretending to be a lovely girl omg I wanna puke hahahah annoying much
I felt the hurt when Qian Ling found out about Xiao Cao
MUSIC - personal fav
你靠近我的身边 Ni Kao Jin Wo De Shen Bian - 蔡旻佑 Cai Min You
With Me - 薛凯琪 Xue Kai Qi
告白画面 Gao Bai Hua Mian - 黄霄云 Huang Xiao Yun
再次遇到 Zai Ci Yu Dao - 牛奶咖啡 Niu Nai Ka Fei, 仙羽 Xian Yu
平行时间的秘密 Ping Xing Shi Jian De Mi Mi - 张星特 Zhang Xing Te
REWATCH VALUE
Shall re-watch when I'm free one day
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DEFINITELY WATCH THIS
watching this for the first time was everything! as someone who has been a carat for a long time now this type of content was very healing to watch especially because it broke from seventeens usual tight schedules. even if unfortunately Scoups was not present for the most part of the variety show (dispite him being my bias) his appearance was there from time to time and the other memebers just seemed so happy in Rome.I also just love na pd he is such a great guy I love him and his much appreciated effort to be able to keep his promise and bring seventeen onto his healing show. If you love seventeen then this content is a much watch and I garuntee you will fall in love with it just like I did and many other carats did!!Was this review helpful to you?
Just an okay drama
LIKELittle lame jokes here and there I love it
When Zhang Suan heart breaks whenever Qing Yue says something lolol
As a passer-by Qing Yue always got involved in stuffs lol
I like Yin Tong Zi’s story telling - it’s soothing
Bai Lu becomes Cheng Yi keep puking blood - lol
That two generals looking guarding Heavenly Gate lol
DISLIKE
Storyline kind of forced not the best Xian Xia
MUSIC - personal fav
临江仙 Lin Jiang Xian - 陆虎 Lu Hu
REWATCH VALUE
Five for now
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Tay and New Shine in This Addictive Romantic Enemies to Lover Comedy!
My favourite GMMTV pairing, Tay and New, are finally back, and they are absolutely delivering. This enemies to lovers romance starts off strong and never slows down. The chemistry between Toto and Kanit is incredible. Both characters are chaotic, stubborn, and hilarious, making every interaction entertaining. Their constant bickering, roasting, and refusal to back down from each other create some of the funniest moments I've seen in a BL series this year.What makes this series stand out is how fast paced, funny, and unique it feels. Episode 1 keeps the energy high, balancing comedy, romance, and drama perfectly. The workplace setting with a paramedic male lead and a flight attendant male lead adds a refreshing twist that makes the story feel different from other series in the genre.
I was also excited to see Mond and Ryu together again as the second couple. They add even more charm to an already fantastic cast.
Then after episode 4, I cannot with this show.
Who buys a plane ticket, checks in for a flight, and flies all the way there just to apologize to his flight attendant crush... only to realize he has no money for a return ticket afterward?
Toto is an absolute disaster, and I mean that in the most affectionate way possible.
I completely lost it when Toto dropped to his knees begging Kanit for forgiveness. The scene was already chaotic enough, but then a random passenger walked by and looked absolutely horrified, clearly thinking Toto was doing something very different down there. I laughed so hard I had to pause the episode.
This series somehow balances romance, secondhand embarrassment, and pure comedy perfectly. Every episode leaves me smiling, laughing, and immediately wanting to watch the next one.
It is ridiculous, addictive, and impossible not to love. I am having the best time watching this chaos unfold.
If you enjoy Comedy, Romance, and Drama with enemies to lovers tension, BL+ representation, and plenty of chaotic energy, this series is a must watch. It is funny, crazy, heartwarming, and endlessly entertaining.
This is easily one of the best GMMTV series I've watched this year, and I can't wait to see where this wild ride goes next.
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Anything by Edward Guo is awesome - I was not disappointed as I highy anticipated VOS
LIKEFangs of Fortune reunited
The three boys really a lot of nonsense I love their vibe
Xiao Wei story is so saddd
When everyone in the Xing Shi - I’m so confused my god I have headache
What You Guai and You Chi did - they are soso courageous
I cried so much for Wang Yan and Wu Shi Guang
When I see Su Jian I felt like being transported back to My Journey to You lol
DISLIKE
This scriptwriter is so annoying keep on sacrificing here and there my god stop torturing me please
MUSIC - personal fav
月之纪 Yue Zhi Ji - 周深 Zhou Shen
玉眠 Yu Mian - 刘宇宁 Liu Yu Ning
草木不言, 雾露为衣 Cao Mu Bu Yan, Wu Lu Wei Yi - 任素汐 Ren Su Xi
一千一万朵 Yi Qian Yi Wan Duo - 马嘉祺 Ma Jia Qi
借一场浮光掠影 Jie Yi Chang Fu Guang Lue Ying - 吴莫愁 Wu Mo Chou
草右 Cao You - 毛不易 Mao Bu Yi
雾时光 Wu Shi Guang - 刘雨昕 Liu Yu Xin
不苦 Bu Ku - 田嘉瑞 Tian Jia Rui version & 鞠婧祎 Ju Jing Yi version
露珠在晨曦前消散 Lu Zhu Zai Chen Xi Qian Xiao San - 鞠婧祎 Ju Jing Yi
赤子如狐 Chi Zi Ru Hu - 田嘉瑞 Tian Jia Rui
无量尘 Wu Liang Chen - 闫桉 Yan An
黑白者说 Hei Bai Zhe Shuo - 闫桉 Yan An
无名鼠辈 Wu Ming Shu Bei - 吴晗 Wu Han
唯愿 Wei Yuan - 夏之光 Xia Zhi Guang 杨雨青 Yang Yu Qing
REWATCH VALUE
Definitely will re-watch
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This review may contain spoilers
Good opening scene but the rest was a mess. I disliked FL
I watched Li An Qi in a drama with Huang Bo and she gave a great performance. I noticed her name when this drama was released and I got the feeling that it was jiejie romance so I watched it. What a disappointment!What I liked:
1. Visuals - Li An Qi made a great older woman and Shen Yu Fan was very handsome
2. Intimacy - Spicy & hot scenes.
3. Supporting characters - I liked FL's friend at work & her eventual husband.
What I disliked:
1. FL characterisation - She was fickle. I don't get it why she chase another man to be her boyfriend when ML was clearly interested in her.
2. Romance - A lot of push from FL. I also disliked that there was distress in their relationship. FL chose someone else to marry.
3. Scheming - A lot of scheming happened.
Favourite scene
Opening
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Stumbled upon this gem when I was searching for Zhou Yu Tong's drama
LIKEOmg that cannibal scene cannibal due to war - pukes
Very confusing every scene is moving fast no time for silly jokes all serious business
Need to know Chinese history to understand so many armies and countries omg
So many characters I have headache everyone I watched from here and there and see them in one drama wow huge blockbuster
Rewards and punishment from Shui Qiu Zhao Quan wow well said
Not at war doesn’t mean the world is at peace
What Qian Hong Chu did and all the generals, officers of Bian Liang covered for him wowowow
Hong Chu’s innocent thinking often lands him in trouble but he also did stuffs what others don’t dare to think of doing
Hu Ling Gong loves Wu Yue a lot
What Hong Chu did to He Cheng Xun was so good and taught Minister Hu a lesson
The Guo family so saddddd why good loyal officials generals are often being blamed
Emperor’s all short lived
The attention to details everyone grew older overtime and their little actions showed it is really excellent
Ah Ping is so smart
This Si Ma Pu reprimands Song Dynasty Emperor wowowowow
Thus is the fate of two princes one is capable and one is not, complete opposite of their fathers
I cried for Sun Tai Zhen and when lands are given back to Song Emperor
Towards the end I had nervous breakdown just to see what is going to happen my god this drama is just too good
Would history re-writes if another person rules Song Dynasty?
DISLIKE
This Qian Hong Zong is really soooo silly don’t know what he is thinking.. he is pathetic unbelievable should just die - what he did eventually got rid of a loyal royal and official of Wu Yue
MUSIC - personal fav
敬太平 Jing Tai Ping - 陈雪燃 Chen Xue Ran
萬里 Wan Li - 周深 Zhou Shen
REWATCH VALUE
I'll re-watch when I'm free someday
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Emotional, slice of life story
I've waited a while for this series to come out, though the story didnt go the way I expected it to, it was worth the wait.it's an emotional story between two people who found comfort within each other. Although we never get a confirmation of what they exactly are to each other, you can see how much they care for other with their actions. They go through ups and downs together, at some point even being separated for years, however when they reunite you can tell how much they missed one another.
I'd say the ending is pretty open and up to interpretation although I like to think it was a happy ending.
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