Reviews

mixed feelings.

okay so I really have mixed feelings about this show.

I really liked the action in the series, the plot and everything okay?
But the whole thing became a mess when it rushed the last two episodes, there was a revelation every 5 minutes, it got pretty confusing, I felt lost and didn't know who to even believe anymore, it was a blaming game of lie all thrown at the last two episodes, and I disliked the forced ""happy"" ending.

Talking about the characters

KinnPorche absolutely didn't like them, their relationship was toxic as hell, well I expected it but the fact that KInn had no character development makes me mad, I dislike him since the start and that didn't change.
I genuinely don't find him loveble as he basically took advantage of porsche KNOWING he got dr3gged, and that he was sky high.
The next day porche had a sort of breakdown, remembering it, but that was forgiven pretty soon and I hated it??? How can you just forgive that.
And the fact that the plot forced them to be together when they got lost in the forest and once again, stuff happened while kinn knew how to unlock the handcuffs but preferred lying to porsche w the excuse to know each other better.

I love porsche but how he was written to let kinn do anything to him and forgive him the next second threw me off.

About vegaspete, this was horrid
I know pete most likely got attached to vegas after all of what he went through because it's something that made him feel alive , he felt seen with Vegas but that's not love.
Vegas tortured him for days, kept him like an animal and now you tell me you love him? Vegas is a psycho and pete need mental help, theyre both messed up, I liked the chemistry between the actors but as characters? Yeah no


For kimchay
I liked them a lot at the start
I get that kim didn't wanna drag chay into his family mess but when chay found out and kim just pushed him away pmo, also we didn't get much ab em, they seemed the less horrid couple at least (but as far as I know kim was bad to chay in the novel so I can't really speak much) but would've been refreshing to see ONE mildy healthy dynamic in this show.

Overall? I liked the plot and the action scenes but I wouldn't even consider this romance, maybe it was meant to be but all I see is romanticism and normalization of r4pe, SA and much more
For who calls this a masterpiece..im sorry for you , maybe not my genre..I get that some series would want to highlight and portray toxic relationship but this serie normalized it, made the victims fall in "love" w their abusers so... Id give this serie a 5/10 just because I liked the plot

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Beautiful slice of life drama

I'm not a fan of melodramas, specially the ones involve disabilities.
But I like the cast so I gave it a try and I dare say it was spectacular even if it's not my usual cup of tea.

The cast was fantastic in portraying their characters and their struggles, my favourite character is Minato, tbh I didn't care about the leads at all, nor any of the side characters, I was so in love with Minato and my only wish was that he gets his happy ending with a partner that would let him do what makes him genuinely happy.

Alas, they didn't show him as much in the second half, forcing me to just cheer up for the leads and ignore everyone else.
But I'm still not over Minato, he is the cutest and loveliest person I've ever saw in a drama.

The story is simple and we can easily predict it but it's not a crime mystery so we can just enjoy the ride.

I don't know if anyone else noticed that but there is one thing that I find odd, not something I hate per se, it's just made me feel slightly weird, which is the way different characters say the exact same thing in the following scene, like when they want to explain one of the character's behaviour or show what's on their mind, and in the next scene another character saying the same thing, and that happened quite a few times.

Overall a very nice drama, prepare some tissues if you are sensitive.

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A Drama That Feels Like Home-Cooked Comfort Food

Yummy, Yummy?Yummy! honestly felt like comfort food in drama form for me.

I originally expected a light food drama, but what surprised me most was how much the food itself became part of the emotional storytelling. This is one of those dramas where meals are not just there to look pretty (although everything looks delicious and will absolutely make you hungry). Food becomes comfort, care, stress, connection, and sometimes even communication between the characters.

Some of my favourite moments were the quieter scenes in the kitchen — cooking after difficult days, sharing meals, the exhaustion and chaos during busy moments, and the way relationships slowly develop through food and small acts of care rather than big dramatic gestures. There were scenes where tension softened simply because someone cooked for another person, and I really loved that.

The father and especially the son can be quite silly and over-the-top at times, particularly in the beginning, which took me a little while to adjust to. Some of the humour felt a bit exaggerated early on, but as the drama progressed, it started to feel part of the charm and warmth of the overall atmosphere, and I honestly got quite attached to them.

The romance is also very slow burn. Do not expect intense romance early on, because the drama takes its time developing the relationships naturally. Personally, I think that worked well for this type of story, as it fit the softer and more comforting tone of the drama.

The atmosphere is probably what worked best for me overall. It feels warm, cozy, and surprisingly immersive. By the later episodes, I genuinely looked forward to seeing what they would cook next and enjoyed spending time with the characters. The found-family feeling and emotional warmth made it very easy to become attached.

The pacing is occasionally a little slow, and not every storyline felt equally strong, but for me that did not matter much because the overall feeling of the drama worked so well. It felt relaxing, comforting, and somehow made me both hungry and emotionally invested at the same time.

If you enjoy food-centred dramas with warmth, comfort, and relationships that develop naturally, this one is definitely worth watching.

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Silk Knives

A Splendid Match unexpectedly became one of those dramas where I kept waiting to be annoyed…
and somehow ended up finishing.

This is a family drama wrapped in romance, household politics, complicated loyalties, unfortunate timing, and people repeatedly making painfully understandable mistakes. Less political chess, more emotional consequences.

Think family grievances, household loyalties, emotional debts, and people repeatedly trapped between duty and feeling.
This is also the kind of drama where soft words frequently hide sharp consequences.

The politics are not exactly:

“everyone gather around while I execute a 14-dimensional chess move.”

The writing frequently wanders into melodrama territory.
And there are frequent moments where the plot politely asks you to suspend disbelief and simply continue moving.

But somehow?
I minded it less here.

Because even when people behave dramatically, and occasionally irrationally, I could usually understand why.

Messy?
Absolutely.

Emotionally recognizable?
More often than not.

And perhaps most importantly:
these people occasionally look like they have lived through mild inconvenience before.

I know.

The standards are in hell.

But seeing actual skin texture, shadows, and lighting that occasionally remembered human faces are supposed to have dimension felt oddly refreshing. Nobody looks permanently trapped inside soft-focus perfection.

Thank you.

Beneath the drama, there is something slightly more mature than expected. Less interested in exaggerated romantic fantasy, more invested in complicated loyalties, family tensions, political obligations, and people making painful decisions for reasons that feel emotionally believable.

The Jinzhao / Chen Yanyun / Ye Xian situation worked better for me than expected too. Not because this becomes some dramatic “choose your favorite man” competition, but because each relationship quietly represents something different emotionally: longing, timing, emotional dependency, partnership, loss.

The romance itself works less through dramatic intensity and more through the quiet accumulation of trust, consistency, and emotional safety.

Meanwhile, the Fu Huailian political situation slowly collapsing into tragedy gave the later episodes more emotional weight. Watching loyalty gradually turn into collateral damage ended up more compelling than the drama gets credit for.

Does everything work?
No.

The scheming is far from brilliant.
The pacing stumbles.

Parts of the drama absolutely could have been stronger, especially toward the end.

But truthfully?
I still ended up enjoying it more than expected.

At this point, a costume idol romance where people mostly behave according to recognizable emotional logic already deserves partial credit. Add an atmosphere that feels appropriately grounded for the world these characters inhabit, without constantly exaggerating itself for dramatic effect, and I found myself appreciating the restraint.

Recommended for: viewers who enjoy slow-burn romance, complicated loyalties, emotionally messy relationships, unfortunate timing, and watching emotionally complicated people make painfully understandable mistakes.
Not recommended for: viewers expecting flawless plotting, high-level scheming, or enough emotional maturity to prevent half the problems in this drama.

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Byeon's Apology!

I watched Perfect Crown twice already.

The writers and directors of this drama should be the ones addressing the controversy, not the actor.

Fans should understand that before a drama is released, scripts, scenes, and story direction go through many levels of approval. Actors perform the roles they are hired to portray, but they do not always control the deeper message or final direction of the production.

If the drama was approved for distribution on major platforms like Disney+, then responsibility should not rest only on the shoulders of one actor. A production involves writers, directors, producers, investors, and distributors together.

Byeon Woo-seok gave an emotional performance, and I personally do not believe he should carry the entire burden alone. Accountability should also include the creative team behind the project.

An actor bringing a character to life is different from creating the script itself.

Just my personal opinion after watching the drama carefully twice and now I will watch it a third time, fourth, or more... I loved it! I love Byeon Woo-seok and I.U.

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Whatever this was, I liked it!

There were some obvious plot holes. I mean, swapping senses does not come with a guidebook? Dilraba is so underrated as an actress. She makes all of her ML's look good and finds the chemistry even where there is none. Honestly, for me the chemistry was a little lacking. I mean, not completely, but I thought Dilraba carried Arthur through most of it. I did not find him 100 percent believable. Dilraba, on the other hand, was 100 percent believable.

I liked this storyline, but it was confusing with the title. Si Mu had all the powers of a god, yet she was not a God and was limited by small things. The sudden narration during the drama helped wrap things up and get through heavy battle scenes, but it also had bad edits.

I love that even though this is somewhat whimsical, it is not overdone and simple at times. The costumes were beautiful, and the production made sense and was not annoying.

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What A Drama!!

This is an amazing drama that I believe everyone should watch at least once. I remember when I first watched the show I was hooked from the start and was fortunate enough to watch it after all the episodes where already released.

This is the show that will make you laugh and cry at the same time, the comedy is truly unmatched. The story gets a 7 because in their attempt to be funny whilst also dealing with very heavy topics as well as the shows main villain; the writers lost a bit of the plot and struggled a little to find the balance between comedy and the main story line.

The acting and cast were phenomenal, everyone in the show played their roles with absolute perfection. The leads where absolutely lovable and had chemistry with every other cast member. The villain also did an amazing job because you couldn't help but hate him. The only reason this is a 9 because some of the characters where repetitive and lacked a little growth however, that it me being a little picky. So watch is and make your own conclusion.
The OST 10/10, I have no notes, the music just brought the entire show together and did it well.

It is re watchable that is a given however, having re-watched it 4-5 times I can say that the re-watch value drops over time. Some the characters that were once likable and made me laugh every time they were on screen became a little bit irritating after the 3rd watch and their scenes become skip- able. Other than that, without being objective this is a 10/10 drama for me; Do Bong Soon and Min Min will forever be one of my favorite on screen couples!

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"Plot whiplash" is the absolute perfect way to describe it. Can there be a part two?

It's like the production team was handed a pair of safety scissors and told to trim a sprawling epic into a neat little box with five minutes left on the clock. There is nothing more frustrating than falling head over heels for a drama's pacing, cinematography, and characters in the first half, only to feel like you're riding a runaway train by the finale.

Because that "chopped down" feeling is incredibly common in C-dramas right now. Due to recent broadcasting regulations limiting episode counts, so many sweeping historical dramas are forced to violently edit down their back halves. It leaves us viewers with massive plot whiplash, wondering how we got from point A to point Z in the blink of an eye.

If I had the magical power to override those broadcasting regulations and restore the deleted footage, the very first thing I would flesh out is the political downfall of the rival faction and Marquis Wu'an's subsequent tactical retaliation.

In the actual finale, the grand, high-stakes chess match we spent 30 episodes building up to was suddenly resolved in what felt like a two-minute montage. Blink and you missed the mastermind getting outsmarted.

Here is how that extra breathing room should have looked:

1. The Tactical Chess Match

Instead of a rushed betrayal, we needed at least two full episodes dedicated to the intellectual warfare. I wanted to see Zhang Linghe’s character actually laying the traps, outmaneuvering the court corruptists step-by-step, and using that brilliant, calculating mind of his. Let us see the genius behind the Marquis, not just the aftermath of it.

2. Emotional Fallout & Healing

With the plot rushing to the finish line, we completely lost the quiet, lingering moments between our leads. After a mountain of unspoken trauma, you can't just fix everything with a quick smile before the credits roll!

The Aftermath: We deserved a slow-burn resolution where Tian Xi wei’s character helps him dismantle that emotional armor.

The Contrast: Her vibrant, grounded energy balancing out his heavy, stoic grief—giving them a few peaceful scenes in a place that looked like Xigu Alley would have been the ultimate catharsis for the audience.

3. A Properly Paced Farewell

A historical epic deserves an ending that breathes. By restoring those episodes, the final sequence wouldn't feel like a sprint; it would feel like a sunset. We’d get to see the empire stabilize, the side characters get their proper closures, and Marquis Wu'an finally shedding the weight of the world from his shoulders.

That said, I have appreciation for the aesthetics and the cast is spot on:

The Visuals: The production team really created magic. Even if we can't book a flight to the real Xigu Alley, the way they captured the rivers and mountains gave the whole show a breathtaking, poetic atmosphere. It felt like a living painting.

Tian Xi wei: She is an absolute treasure. Her natural comedic timing is so refreshing—she has this effortless ability to keep a heavy historical plot from feeling too bogged down.

Zhang Linghe: He absolutely commanded the screen as Marquis Wu'an. His micro-expressions do so much heavy lifting, especially when the script is rushed and he has to convey a mountain of unspoken trauma with just a shift in his eyes.

And honestly, my take on his weight is a pretty popular sentiment among fans! He is incredibly tall, and while that lean, sharp look definitely gives him that ethereal, tortured-statesman vibe, a little more weight would give him a broader, more imposing presence for those heavy armor scenes.

It really is bittersweet because the raw ingredients—the breathtaking cinematography, the effortless chemistry, and the sheer talent of the cast—were all right there.

Since we are rewriting history here, how did you feel about the secondary characters' endings? Was there a specific side-plot or dynamic that you felt got unfairly chopped completely out of the script?

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I wanted to like it, but it ended up being a non-immersive experience..

I want to propose a question to the producers of this drama: why should I care about this story?

This isn't a bad drama/movie, however it feels like eps 10 and 11 of a 12 episode drama.

From ep 1, you are thrown into the story, there is limited world-building, which results in me not caring about the characters, story or how it ends. Something went wrong somewhere.

I felt like an onlooker, rather than being immersed into the story.

The music was nice and gave it a nostalgic vibe.

The romance was very short-lived while she was alive.

In the end, I was left hoping for more..

The cast and acting is good.

But like I said, I didn't even know what was happening with the gangster plot. I wouldn't have known the ML was a gangster if I hadn't read the plot beforehand.

Many people seem to really like this drama, so don't let me stop you from watching it.

I will leave you with some random thoughts I had while watching:

- you're thrown right into the story, if I didn't read the premise I wouldn't have known the male lead to be a gangster from the start of things, it didn't really introduce you to characters like what usually happens in an ep 1.. ep 1 to me felt like a later episode, but it is only 2 eps long so maybe for the best that they didn't spend time world building?
- mr. yellow shoes is in this
- why should I care about this story?
- it has nice music (classical and 'a love so beautiful')
- things were happening in ep 1 and I just didn't care about it.. I wanted to, but they didn't set up the story in any way that you would end up caring about the characters, I feel like an onlooker
- at the end of ep 2 I started getting more interested, but then it ended
- the story in itself is not bad, but just felt incomplete and I couldn't immerse myself in it..
- it has an early 2000s vibe

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아깝다

Honestly, I don’t even know what the exact problem is. I’ve watched seven episodes, but I haven't felt happy, romantic, or sad once. Watching it feels like a chore. In the beginning, I only tuned in because of Ahn Hyo-seop and Kim Bum, hoping that things would turn around and it would become enjoyable. But nothing changed. I just realized I’ve been constantly forcing myself, saying, 'Keep watching, it’ll get better, it has to be good...' But nope.
I’ve honestly started questioning why these actors accepted this script in the first place—especially Kim Bum. Bro, you are the Kim Bum. You are a cornerstone of the K-drama industry. You basically helped start the global K-drama wave, and an entire generation grew up watching you. How could you choose this role? What was the goal here?
Also, why is your character so head-over-heels for the female lead? She drew boundaries so quickly, and we barely see enough of their backstory to justify him liking her that much.
As for the female lead, it feels like she’s just reading lines off a page—zero emotion, zero feeling. I can’t feel any chemistry or love. Her character arc feels like: she burns out, leaves her broadcasting channel, and goes, 'Oh, look, a guy. Let me just fall for him since I have some free time now.' The actress has potential, so I really hope she improves.
The logistics don't make sense either. Mathieu lives in a village while she lives in the city, which is a two-hour drive away. She is portrayed as an incredibly busy workaholic who lives for her job, so there's no way her character would casually make that two-hour commute all the time.
At this point, I have zero interest. I don't even care what happens to the young girl in the mask—honestly, it's so predictable that I already know. It's the most cliché K-drama trope: they’ll fight, they'll feel responsible for the girl, she'll sleepwalk, and he'll find her. Cue the cliché couple moments. Nothing interesting. Even the shopping scenes are a total bore.
I give 1 point for music because of the one … I can’t describe this thing, I don’t want to use bad words.

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Sweet Start, Romance Built on Lies

This drama started off heartfelt, funny, and cute, which made the twist even more frustrating. At first, Xia Lin and Ling Yi Zhou’s relationship seemed charming and emotional, especially with how supportive and caring he appeared toward her. But then we find out that everything, even the moment Xia Lin approached Ling Yi Zhou, was orchestrated by him from the very beginning. After that reveal, I honestly could not look at the romance the same way again.

What made it worse was the fact that Xia Lin was not even sick to begin with. Ling Yi Zhou had doctors, hospital staff, and basically everyone around her lying straight to her face just to manipulate her into depending on him. That is not romantic, it is controlling and disturbing. The drama tries to frame his actions as acceptable because he loved her deeply and spoiled her constantly, but love does not excuse deception on that level. He violated her trust, took away her ability to make informed choices about her own life, and emotionally manipulated her into a relationship built on a lie.

What annoyed me most was how little accountability Ling Yi Zhou actually faced. The show brushed past the seriousness of what he did as if grand gestures and affection could erase the damage. Xia Lin was understandably hurt for a while, but the drama rushed through the consequences and expected viewers to move on quickly because he is attractive, rich, and devoted. It really felt like the writers wanted the audience to excuse obsession and control as if it were romance, instead of showing how unhealthy it actually was.

Their entire relationship was built on lies, manipulation, and a fake medical crisis. The foundation they supposedly built together was nothing more than a facade created by Ling Yi Zhou’s schemes. Trust is one of the most important parts of any relationship, and once that is broken to this extent, it is hard to understand how the relationship could continue as if nothing happened.

Honestly, I do think Xu Kai Cheng and Simona Wang had strong chemistry, and that is probably what kept me watching until the end. Their scenes together in the earlier part of the drama especially had a lot of warmth and softness that made the romance feel very engaging. I would still recommend the drama, but only with the understanding that the early fluffy romance takes a very different turn once the truth is revealed. If you don't want to be disappointed with their relationship, I would honestly suggest dropping it after episode nine because everything after that shifts the tone completely and the later half of the show felt pretty corny compared to the beginning.

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The Greenest Flag Drama I’ve Ever Watched

Love Me, Love My Voice honestly became one of my biggest surprises. I went into it with almost no expectations. I had heard people talk about it for long, but I never expected to love it as much as I did. I’m genuinely shocked by how attached I became to this drama.

I will admit, the beginning was a little hard to get into. The first few episodes felt very slow and awkward, especially the romance. But honestly? The awkwardness felt realistic. He’s introverted, she’s shy, and their relationship starts in a very natural way. It wasn’t some dramatic, instant-love kind of romance — it was just two people quietly falling in love, and I ended up loving that simplicity so much.

Sometimes life gets overwhelming and busy, and you just need a drama like this: something calm, soft, comforting, and completely non-problematic. Watching this felt like a reset button. I was smiling from ear to ear the entire time.

At first, I genuinely thought the sweetness was TOO much. And I mean too much. I’ve watched countless dramas, and this is probably the first time I’ve ever had to pause because something was overwhelmingly sweet. It was beyond sweet — almost unreal. But after a while, you settle into their quiet everyday life and start craving more of it. By the end, I honestly felt like 33 episodes weren’t enough. I could have watched another 10 episodes of them just living life together.

This drama completely depends on whether you feel the chemistry between the leads. Because the plot itself is extremely simple — it’s basically just two people falling in love. If the chemistry works for you, the show works. And for me, it worked perfectly.

The chemistry was amazing. Their relationship felt warm, comforting, mature, and incredibly healthy. No unnecessary misunderstandings, no dramatic breakups, no toxic behavior, no random tragedy — not even a tiny “car accident for angst” moment. I’ve genuinely never watched something this non-problematic before, and somehow it still kept me completely invested.

It reminded me a lot of Amidst a Snowstorm of Love, which makes sense because they’re from the same writer. You can definitely see the similarities. But honestly, Love Me, Love My Voice has even less plot — and somehow I still loved every second of it.

I also think Tan Jianci was absolutely perfect for this role. The character felt so natural for him. His passion, perfectionism, calmness, teasing side — everything fit him perfectly. And Zhou Ye matched him so well too. She had exactly the right amount of softness and shyness for the role, and together they created such a comforting dynamic.

One thing I really loved was how culturally Chinese the drama felt. The outfits, music, food, scenery, cinematography — everything had such a strong Chinese identity and atmosphere. It felt very intentional and immersive, and visually the drama was so pleasant to watch.

The voice acting/dubbing industry aspect was also really interesting. Since voice actors are such a huge thing in China, it was nice getting a glimpse into that world and seeing these characters balancing ordinary lives alongside their careers.

And honestly, the friendships were just as important as the romance. I loved the group dynamic so much. Everyone had chemistry with everyone. The trips, dinners, performances, casual hangouts — all of those scenes added so much warmth to the show. It wasn’t just a romance drama; it was also about friendship, comfort, passion, and found family.

I absolutely loved the side characters and the secondary couples too, which is why my biggest complaint is that most of the side couples only officially got together near the end. I really wish we had more time actually seeing them as couples instead of waiting until the last episode for confessions.

Overall, I absolutely loved this drama and genuinely cannot recommend it enough — but only if you enjoy slow, slice-of-life romances with almost no conflict. This is not a drama for people who need constant tension or dramatic twists. The entire show is carried by chemistry, comfort, healthy communication, friendship, and pure softness.

This might honestly be the greenest-flag drama I’ve ever watched.

And finally, the OST was AMAZING. Tan Jianci’s voice was absolutely beautiful, the performances were wonderful, and every musical moment felt heartfelt and immersive.

This drama honestly felt less like watching a story and more like spending time with people you grow to love.

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