1This review may contain spoilers
Binge watch worthy
It's worth the time you spend on it. This 12 episodic series, you could finish it in a day. It definitely deserves 8/10.The biggest pro of this drama is the cast and its acting.
Starting with the main leads, IU and Byeon Wooseok, to the side characters, everyone is such a fabulous actor/actress. Every emotion, every nuance, every little look and tone - they come straight at your heart. This drama didn't have too many ups and downs. But the little it did, one could feel the tension, the happiness, the pain.
It had been a long time since I saw a drama where I could clearly see the actors falling in love. This drama fulfilled that wish of mine. One could clearly see Ian fall for Huiju...so beautiful, tugged my heart strings đ„č There are very few who can do a crazy character better than IU. The laugh, the gait, the facial expressions, ahhh!! Love her! I found myself whipped so many times! And she's sooo pretty! Byeon Wooseok as Ian, God! He looked really good đ€ And his acting? Goodness, emotions were pouring out of the screen.
Their chemistry? Good! Loved when their eyes met â€ïž Also, I'm a fan of height differences and this surely feeds me that.
The second couple, Choi Hyun and Do Hyejeong, were really cute. I really love the actor Yoo Soobin. Him as Aide Choi was a very good casting. Same with Lee Yeon as Do Hyejeong. But the best ones would be Gong Seungyeon as the Queen Mother and Noh Sanghyun as the Prime Minister. Man! The queen mother was definitely a very potent character. Her acting deserves a standing ovation. I'd even say she might be the best of all in this drama. If not, her character development would definitely be the best. But it could have been more deep. Irrespective, hats off to the acting. As for the Prime minister, well I'd say it was a character degeneration, but it was good too. I mean petty things, but the show must go on so. They didn't give a worthy ending though. Like what happened? He just disappeared. The brother and sister in law, unexpectedly became my favs just purely because they weren't villainous. Initially, it did feel like a typical chaebol setup, but eventually, it was watered down and family bonds were highlighted. Didn't like the father being glorified. Bro he wasn't all that a great person, whatever. The child actor Kim Eunho as the king. How cute!!! He did his part very well.
The biggest problem of this show would be the predictability. I mean, from the get go, you know the story and how it'll end. Considering how big of a cast it is, they could have had a story with more substance. It's because of the cast and their acting skills this drama gets it's points. It's basically a really cliche trope. I lowkey feel bad because IU and Byeon Wooseok are a good pair. They should have been given a better tale to play. Not just them, the whole lot. I saw it somewhere that this drama wasted potential and I have to agree. I mean the idea was good - monarchy in modern times and all. But it ends up becoming just another story. The script could have been better. Had it been 16 episodes with elaboration where needed, we would have felt more connected to the world and people.
Music wise, honestly, I did feel it lacked a lot of background music, especially in episodes 1. But it got better; still not fine but yah. Also, grateful it is just 12 episodes. Had it been 16, mm, I feel like it would lag considering how they ran through the last part. If it was indeed 16, like I mentioned, they better develop a lot more. Since it was only 12, one after the other, stuff was happening. And it did feel rushed at end, if you zoom out, you do feel it's a bit too much to happen in a few days or months, isn't it? But ya, grateful they chose 12 with this pace. Wonder what they'd have done with the remaining 4 if it was 16.
As for the controversy. I feel entirely boycotting or banning the show is just nonsense. Yes, historical errors happened and it disturbed cultural concepts. But considering the quality of production and mind-blowing acting, it would be a waste. And true, maybe the actors should have kept an eye out for the mistakes. But to hold them completely accountable, as if it were their faults entirely, is just unreasonable. How could you possibly expect them to proof check each and every little thing of each and every line? No. Holding them responsible is not right. I would really be sad if this drama is to be taken down.
In a nutshell, grateful this drama exists but wish there was more to it. Hope I can see this pair in a more deeper story. Binge watch worthy đđ»
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An interesting peek into those affected
Interesting peek into a women's prison, and the way lives are affected by it. This is a slightly gritty look at actual lives. Not gritty in the sense that there is anything particularly shocking in the content, but more that it does not add any "kdrama polish" to anything. Just real people, living in the real world, despite often not having many options, still working toward figuring out their place in the world based on the options in front of them.The writers really put in some extra thought into a few metaphors and symbolism used, which adds a nice touch as the overall story and message settle in.
When you are passing a bus with the same number, give them a wave.
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Mixed Memories and Emotions
I tried to finish this drama to see if there is a happy ending and also wondering what the Lee Jeong Hoon experienced is true. I even checked if hyperthymesia is real and it is! The drama had repeatedly emphasized the hurt of the past, the trauma of his girlfriend's death, and his mother's death. Such deaths shown were truly traumatizing.There were several disturbing characters and scenes:
1. the repetitive episodes of his girlfriend's death - I skipped this as if it is a filler only for me.
2. Jeong Hoon visiting the stalker of his past girlfriend. That is really disturbing. Why would you even go there? Why relive the past? Why talk to an insane man?
3. The older doctor - his obsession to publish his discovery without a care for the patient to be revealed is unethical. And even visiting the insane convict in the hospital knowing he isn't stable - my gosh, are there doctors like him? I would be wary of such.
4. The public in general as portrayed - who easily believe what is published and condemn Jeong Hoon. They judged him for having his past and present girlfriends as best friends. Are people that gullible already? Are people that judgmental already without knowing the facts? I guess there are still many who use the social media as legitimate news.
What would be the positives?
1. I like that Jeong Hoon tried to overcome his illness. We see his maturity and resilience even in the face of being replaced.
2. Yeo Ha Jin able to bounce back despite of the scandal and later on get back with Jeong Hoon, though it took some time. It is true that people have short memories and will forget the past scandals.
3. Jeong Hoon was able to go back to his late-night news and with Ha Jin.
4. Jeong Hoon's boss who tried to help him knowing of his illness.
5. I love the outfits of Ha Jin, though her rival actress tried to put her down, her spirit does not seem to wane.
Will I rewatch this? I don't think so. Though I didn't retain much of the story in my mind, I would not go back to those disturbing characters and scenes.
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This review may contain spoilers
A Historical Account presented masterfully in an engaging drama.
The initial 5 episodes were chaotic and confusing, needing to be revisited time and again.There is the bigger story of a period when China was going through a chaotic period of 5 dynasties in rapid succession in the North and 10 kingdoms in the South. The fall of the Tang Dynasty, plunged the era and especially the Central Plains of the North with a dominant power with the ruling Emperor seated in Kaifeng, into a turbulent period of wars and power struggles between opposing states and military regimes. The Tang dynasty was ended by Zhu Wen, a rebel warlord who founded the Later Liang dynasty. He was in turn overthrown and replaced by Li Cunxu, son of his main military rival, Li Keyong, foundiing the Later Tang dynasty, the second dynasty after Tang. Li was in turn usurped by a trusted general, Shi Jintang, son of another Comander in Li Keyong's army, with the help of the Khitans, setting up the Later Jin Dynasty, the 3rd Dynasty after Tang.
This CDrama starts with the compromised Emperor Shi, beholden to the Khitans being the Central Plains dominant power.
Within this background was the Kingdom of Wuyue, a small but extremely prosperous Kingdom, who lived by the mantra of "serving the central plains". They were a vassal state within the Central Plains paying homage and tributes to the Central Plains Emperor. The King at the start of the series was Qian YuanGuang, who has 2 adopted sons, the 1st and 2nd Princes. This is the story of the 9th Prince, Qian HongChu.
Wuyue borders with the Southern Tang and they are both adversaries, often in armed conflicts. Within this corner of the world, there operates a strong independent sea borne merchant fleet headed by a strong willed woman, the Lady Yu who was once the wife of King YuanGuang. She left the King after he married another as part of a power alliance.. She is the biological mother of the 3rd Prince, Qian HongZuo, and also the mother of Sun Taizhen, her only daughter and another younger son ChengZuo. Lady Yu and her brother, Yu Wenxiu, runs the HuangLong Society fleet out of HuangLong Island.
Within this mix of royals, there is a powerful ensemble of nobles, generals and merchants, each with their own interests. A prominent merchant from Wuyue, Cheng Zhaoyue is plotting with Li YuanQing, a Commander of an elite Southern Tang military unit.
QHC, who seems to have a predilection to get into spots is captured aboard a HuangLong Society ship and brought to HuangLong Island, where he was attended to by STZ.
This is a historical account seen from the smaller perspective of the trials and tribulations of a vassal state against the bigger canvas of shifting power dynamics of imperialism. One needs to get past the first 10 episodes before the the entirety of the canvas becomes more apparent. There are more villains than heroes and principles are readily abandoned for power and ambitions.
There are several threads that are sometimes loosely intertwined and then ends up tightly bound for a very engaging story line and immensely engaging plot.
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if you switch off your brain enjoyable
After watching all 8 episodes, honestly, the series should have only been 6 episodes long, because after episode 6, nothing particularly interesting really happens.The series is entertaining⊠if you switch your brain off. Because the moment you actually start thinking about it, there are so many things that just donât make sense.
Klao and Si seriously lack depth. Nothing about their characters was developed with strong writing; it all felt rushed to me. Even the death of the kid⊠I donât even remember his name, which says a lot about how little emotional attachment the show managed to create. In my opinion, they did absolutely nothing to make viewers care about that character.
Klao and Siâs relationship works on screen mainly because Lookmhee and Sonya have great chemistry. But thatâs where it stops, because underneath that, the dynamic feels very predatory, with a clear lack of boundaries.
Siâs relationship with her family was also handled really poorly, especially with her sister. One day theyâre in conflict, and the next everything is suddenly fine, with no real explanation or apology. I hate when shows treat viewers like theyâre stupid by resolving things that way.
And finally, the humor just wasnât for me at all. I found it way too much, forced, and honestly pretty cringe.
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Begins Well but later turns into a Passive Watch
About this one I think people are indeed right about it... Up until episode 11 or 12, I was actively curious and enjoyed watching the show...I loved how FL is determined to court the ML, yet is very sensible about her life choices and self-respect and knows well where she should stand and when to stop, but soon it became a very passive watch, idk maybe coz the breakup trope and sacrificing for their benefit without letting them know and all is a bit annoying and I dont really have the time and patience to go through all that nonsense.... or more like I dont get any dopamine out of it so i kept skipping 5 sec 5 secs and finished the show quickly...Around the middle of the show there are major accident scenes and indeed very life risking situations but surprisingly no one is injured...It almost felt like they are invincible humans even if dipped in and out of molten Lava, the FL's mother as others said i didnt find her as annoying, towards the end I think they wanted to re-emphasize on the points like how a Fire Brigade and Medical staff and all others on the frontline are dedicated to duty but still not satisfying enough for me.....neither the Main couple gave me butterflies nor the second couple... the only couple I had hopes for was Huo Yan Zong and Yu shi shi, i loved their dynamics and would love to watch a show with a similar CP but the ending they had didnt satisfy me.... Either way i finished the show and gave it a 7/10 coz its quality is good, acting is decent and for beginner Cdrama watchers it qualifies as a decent pick. Not the best but not the worst either.Was this review helpful to you?
Heartwarming ??
I donât think words are enough to explain how much *Feel What You Feel* affected me đ„čâ€ïž. I started watching expecting a story, but what I received was an experience filled with emotions I could actually feel. I fell in love with everything â the chemistry, the tension, the longing, the small moments, and even the silence between the characters âš. Every emotion felt so real that it stayed with me long after finishing.The main couple completely stole my heartđ« â€ïž. I loved them more than I expected to. I could feel their emotions, their pain, their happiness, their longing⊠even their silence spoke volumesđ„ș. The way they looked at each other, understood each other without words, and carried so many emotions in simple moments felt incredibly real. Their chemistry wasnât something I just watched â it was something I felt â€ïžâđ©čâš.
The connection between them was beautiful and painful in the best way possible. The way they hurt, healed, and loved each other⊠it never felt like acting. It felt genuine.
To every actor and actress in this series â thank you đž. Your performances were incredible. You didnât simply play characters; you made people like me laugh, ache, hope, and cry with you đ„șđâ€ïž. That kind of impact is rare.
Some dramas entertain you for a while, but some quietly leave a mark on your heart forever âš. *Feel What You Feel* became one of those stories for me. I know Iâll watch it again because certain emotions deserve to be felt more than once đđ.
Thank you for creating something so beautiful đ·. Thank you for this masterpiece. My heart is still there with the characters⊠and maybe a part of it will stay there for a long time đ„čâ€ïžâđ„.
You didnât just tell a story â you made us *feel* it đ€.
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Let the Children Fight
Physical fighting is common in very young children, but they soon learn how to express their emotions and solve problems with words. Itâs usually best to avoid fights, but sometimes fighting it out seems to be the best option, especially for children. In this movie, we follow high schoolers who often use their fists, along with one strange girl who gets involved in the fights and tries to set the record straight. The film contains a bit of drama, comedy and action.The story wasnât very convincing. The comedy provided a good refreshment every now and then, but the best part of the movie were the action scenes. Although it wasnât believable to watch a girl fighting boys â especially since we never see her train â the fight scenes had strong energy and felt satisfying.
I actually donât know what this movie wanted to achieve. If it was meant to give young actors a chance to act, then I understand. But from a story perspective, I donât see anything particularly memorable. Or maybe Iâm already too old for high school movies.
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This review may contain spoilers
Li Ai Xiao was the star of this forgettable rich guy, poor girl drama
I watched this drama because a Discord member mentioned He Lian Fei's dimples and it occurred to me that I had not seen him playing MLs before. I decided to watch this one because I had seen another version of this plot which stars Wang Zi Yi. I have a reddit column comparing 2 dramas from same source so why not cover this drama, right? Unfortunately this drama wasn't good.What I liked:
1. Acting - I liked Li Ai Xiao's performance in this drama. It's believable that she had 2 men chasing after her (the other version's FL was bland in terms of personality & attractiveness.
2. FL characterisation- She was a damsel but an affable & attractive one.
3. Break up - I liked this scene because it showed that she was not spineless and could stand for herself against the obnoxious ML.
4. Supporting character - Her boss seemed dodgy to me at first but he turned out to be a nice guy. I liked how she encouraged her to grow her skills. I also liked ML's mother.
5. Ending - The ending was sweet.
What I disliked:
1. Acting - I consider acting as a subset of acting and I didn't sense any heat between Li Ai Xiao & He Lian Fei.
2. ML characterisation - I didn't like how he treated FL at the beginning of their relationship.
3. Romance - Transactional then slowly turned to love but I didn't buy the romance at all. ML was possessive & distrustful.
4. Styling - OMG, why did she go out wearing a nightie and slippers while dragging her luggage?
Favourite scene
When FL asked for her freedom & requested a break up
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What was that final episode?
The story was revolving around feelings and how to understand/deal with them, and the show does a great job at that. But, it felt like they realized they had to wrap everything up with only 20 minutes left. After all the build up we barely see Dongman shooting the movie and what happened to Eun A? The relationship with her mother? What happened to her movie? Is all left unknown. The revelation to her step sister has no consequences and Dongman almost had more romantic chemistry with the other director than with her in the end :/Was this review helpful to you?
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Zhang Si Fan and less antagonist screntime made me enjoy this more than the version 1
I recently discovered Zhang Si Fan through vertical drama The Clouds and wanted to explore his work. I chose this drama because I could write a review for a reddit column comparing two dramas from the same source. I prefer this version.What I liked:
1. Romance - The couple in this version had good banters before they kissed. I liked that. The kissing scenes were hot thanks to ML (he's so into her).
2. FL characterisation - Her FL was cool, smart & poise. However it was silly that she had way too many identities e.g healer, expert violin player, hacker.
3. Acting - I liked Zhang Si Fan's performance in this drama. In terms of chemistry, it was ok.
4. Styling - The outfits chosen for FL were good. Thank gosh she didn't wear a uniform to attend classes at university. I liked the black suit & crimped hair.
5. Supporting characters - I liked ML's grandfather & parents. I also liked ML's assistant.
6. ML characterisation - He was curious and observant. I liked that he helped FL in ways that were not imposing to FL.
What I disliked:
1. Antagonists - Song family was manipulative. Song Bao Yi was pathetic.
2. Acting - I found Xiong Yu Ting quite stiff.
3. First act - Similar to the other version, the first hour offered nothing so I was bored.
Favourite scene
When ML & FL were hot for each other at breakfast
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A Beautifully Shot Thriller That Loses Its Mystery
Sirens Kiss is a unique thriller that stands out most through its portrayal of Han Seol-ah, easily the showâs strongest and most compelling character. She is written as an emotionally complex woman whose traumatic past has left her emotionally detached and guarded. Rather than expressing herself openly, Seol-ah internalizes everything, which unintentionally makes her the perfect suspect in the eyes of others. Her inability to display emotion causes people to misinterpret her behavior, while her confidence in her own innocence leaves her feeling no obligation to constantly defend or explain herself. This creates an interesting dynamic where only those who truly understand her can recognize the truth beneath her cold exterior.This naturally leads into her relationship with Cha Wook-seok, whose growing curiosity about Seol-ah becomes one of the showâs emotional anchors. Their dynamic is compelling because it develops under tense and emotionally fragile circumstances. Although the series carries a romance label, the relationship does not follow the conventions of a typical romantic drama. Instead, it initially feels more like a relationship built out of necessity and circumstance rather than genuine love. That approach ultimately works in the showâs favor, as it allows the romance to evolve gradually into something more believable and emotionally meaningful over time.
The investigative side of the story is also handled well for the most part. The detectives actively examine different perspectives in their search for the truth, though Gong Ju-yeong often became frustrating to watch. Her approach to the investigation frequently felt driven more by personal jealousy and emotional bias than by a genuine desire to objectively uncover the facts.
One of the showâs strongest themes is how truth can easily be manipulated depending on public perception. Sirens Kiss effectively explores how even honest words or actions can be twisted to fit a narrative, and how emotionally exhausting it becomes to constantly prove your innocence to people determined not to believe you. Han Seol-ahâs actions in Episode 9 especially emphasize that emotional exhaustion and serve as one of the seriesâ more impactful moments.
The mystery element starts off strong and genuinely suspenseful, but the series struggles to maintain that momentum. By around Episode 5, it becomes fairly obvious who is behind the murders, which weakens much of the tension for the remainder of the show. Considering this is only a 12-episode series, it would have benefited from preserving the mystery for longer instead of making the reveal so transparent early on. Unfortunately, the identity and motivations of the main culprit also lean heavily into cliché territory, which undermines some of the uniqueness the show initially established. As a result, the overall payoff feels underwhelming compared to the promising setup.
Despite those shortcomings, the series does deserve credit for how well it connects each characterâs storyline to Han Seol-ah, whether through past relationships or present circumstances. The intertwining narratives are handled thoughtfully and help give the story emotional cohesion. One particular reveal involving someone from Seol-ahâs past was especially well executed and genuinely surprising, even if the hints became noticeable shortly before the reveal itself. The show balanced foreshadowing effectively without making every twist overly obvious.
Overall, Sirens Kiss is a decent thriller elevated by strong performances, excellent cinematography, and a memorable soundtrack that enhances many of the showâs emotional scenes. While the cast delivers convincing performances and the earlier episodes establish an intriguing psychological mystery, the reliance on clichĂ©s and weaker writing in the second half prevents the series from fully reaching its potential. Even so, its character work, particularly with Han Seol-ah, remains engaging enough to make the show worth watching.
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By the end, I realized that this series is much more than a simple crime investigation drama. It is a story about memory, trauma, guilt, obsession, and the way the past continues to haunt people long after they believe everything has been buried.
What impressed me the most â and what, in my opinion, truly makes this drama special â is the structure of the three timelines. The transitions between 1997, 2002, and 2015 are handled with incredible precision, and instead of confusing they slowly build a complete emotional and narrative puzzle. Every timeline adds something essential to the mystery, and each revelation changes the meaning of scenes that came before it. The drama constantly forces the viewer to rethink previous assumptions, but without ever making the story feel messy.
One of the dramaâs greatest strengths is its atmosphere. From the very first episode, there is this constant feeling of discomfort hanging over the entire series. The old apartment buildings, the cold lighting, the rain-soaked streets, the abandoned hallways, and the eerie soundtrack all create a suffocating sense of tension. Even quiet scenes feel unsettling, as if something terrible could happen at any moment.
I also appreciated that the drama never became overly sensationalist. Despite involving serial crimes, disappearances, and shocking revelations, the series remains emotionally grounded. The focus is always on the people affected by the tragedy rather than on violence for the sake of entertainment. That emotional restraint gives the story much more maturity.
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Surprisingly 'Beautiful'
I loved this series! I know there are a ton of negative reviews/comments about this series and admittedly, despite the myriad of legitimate issues it does have, I still think this is one of the better series to take a look at. Why? Because it has heart and it disregards the traditional path of telling a BL cliché story. It takes a direction I did not expect it to take. With an ending, I am sure, perhaps no one else except me respected. I loved and enjoyed the unconventional and heteroclite conclusion. It made logical sense. This is not a pablum-fed saga but a serious story. It is a solid adult tale with an uninhibited solution to an insoluble dilemma. Take it or leave it. There is nothing pre-pubescent or tripe about this series and that alone makes it worth considering. If the director had taken the story more seriously and believed in its integrity, this could have been a more impactful series.Was this review helpful to you?
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Cute but cliche, had potential to be better with more character development
It was pleasant to watch and quite short since it's only 12 episodes. The acting was fine (IU performed much better in when life gives you tangerines), nothing extraordinary, the chemistry ok, the visuals great and the music quite good. The story however was average and with many plot holes, which could have been resolved with more character development. While I was watching the show I was wondering about many things that maybe I got wrong or maybe they didn't explain so well. Like why was the SML so obsessed with the FL when he never expressed his feelings towards her (and probably didn't want to earlier since she was an illegitimate daughter and probably wanted someone with more credentials). Why was the father so unloving towards the FL but still gave her the position of CEO? Shouldn't he have a more straightforward attitude? Why did the former king want to quit? I get that he was oppressed but we don't get to know him well enough to understand it. And I don't understand the main villain at all, his efforts seemed rushed and over the top. Oh and I really dislike the fact that after the marriage the FL that seems to be very powerful and determined, suddenly seems scared, weak and in need of a savior... As I said it was a good show, but that's about it. I know it's longer and older, but in that "modern day kingdom" and "fake marriage" categories I prefer Goong.Was this review helpful to you?
