small review
this kdrama was so well written, I feel like I could understand every character and their decisions.Personally hwang-dong-man was THE ONE character who struck with me the most, to see him finally achieve his dream even after being criticized that much by his friends who only saw him as a guy denigrating other people’s film when he didn’t even debut, instead of asking him why he was acting this way.Or him having the constant pression of wondering if his brother was alright because of his multiple attempts, anyway I’m really bad at reviewing but I felt like I needed to write something about this kdrama that was litteraly my comfort show from the moment it started to the moment it ended🤍.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Pure chaos and comedy in a superhero flick
I came in with no expectations and was absolutely blown out of the water! One of the most chaotic, unserious, and comedic Kdramas I've watched. The found family trope is done so well, each character has rich backstories and their mischief when together is hilarious.This is definitely Eun Woo's best work. He really brings to life the traumatized, introverted office worker who reluctantly has to help this insane group he found himself entangled in and gradually come out of his shell. I love seeing him out of the typecast of playing only the "cold, handsome" male leads. His little smiles when he's amused by their shenanigans make me swoon.
Chae Ni is such a bubbly, vivacious character. She is unapologetically herself. She is the glue that holds their little found family together. I also love the dynamic of the introverted, calm ML x loud, chaotic FL. One of the greatest examples of correctly incorporating romance when it is not the main focus.
Such a refreshing drama in a year where I personally have found Kdramas to be lackluster. This is the superhero origin story that teaches family is not blood, but heart and the occasional coffee jelly.
Was this review helpful to you?
Park Haeyoung never misses!
“If only the weather could change, if only there were a machine that could create any type of weather, I wonder what kind of weather I’d create right now.” – Hwang Dong ManI finished this show with tears running down my cheeks and the killing curiosity of wanting to pinpoint what exact emotion am I feeling right now. This exact emotion I felt with the other two shows made by Park Haeyoung. My Mister, My Liberation Notes. It’s crazy, not once has a show of hers failed to make me feel this exact type of emotion.
Where I know I’ll be stuck reminiscing on this show even as time passes. Where it feels like I’m parting ways with a family I just got close to, and it makes me feel sick. I want to cry but celebrate that I got to watch a show this brilliant. The type of show that opens up emotions inside of me which I usually hardly ever acknowledge or pour out on when watching something.
Its weird, I usually always say I’m an emotional person who cries at the smallest things, and while thats true, *because* I cry at everything, nothing stays with me long term. But here? I cried and could tell you which scene it was that made me shed a tear or clutch my chest because my heart feels like its going through the same exact thing as the character on screen.
This entire show was based on emotions, and it perfectly encapsulated humanity. Humor, sadness, depression, regret. Each word albeit similar, harbours its own meaning.
This show left me wanting to know and be more present with my emotions. That when I feel jealousy or betrayal, or happiness when someone fails, but anger when things don’t go my way— it’s all human. It’s a human ‘being’. We are all just being.
I’m sure after a couple of weeks pass I’ll forget about all of these feelings I have. But I know I’ll find myself thinking about certain quotes or scenes when I’m by myself, sitting somewhere. Or if I encounter a person exactly like Hwang Dongman. Because I find myself wondering if there is such a person like he. Someone who will make you feel okay for being absurd, but doesn’t just comfort you with words but with actions. We should all learn to be a bit like him. Maybe not all, but a little. Life could be a bit more bearable then.
Amazing show. 10/10.
Was this review helpful to you?
emotionally devastating
There was everything in this film, action, adventure, blood, sex, raw emotion and amazing acting. I was hooked from the start! It’s not that often you come across a gay king with an insufferable jealous towards his chief of the guardn serving the king in companionship, musically and sexually. It was interesting to see the kind of activities young boys were put through in their training to be a soldier in the kings guard.I was interested in the art aspects in this film with the king always painting with bamboo sticks or traditional brush stroke calligraphy and powder dyes in water to create their version or watercolour.
The whole film is pretty much about how personal feelings cloud a better judgement and I think it’s something I need to think about as a person too. There is a lot of emotion, strength and power in this film and it’s definitely one you could watch again.
There was a lot of depth in each character and the story was solid and consistant even though there were a few sub plots which I was happy about. Such beautiful setting and landscapes and rich in red and gold. Asian films always feel like such artwork and this definitely commends that thought.
Was this review helpful to you?
Masterpiece of a Short Drama.
After invading General kills her family and takes over her town, he rapes her and promises her three years of revenge before she returns to marry him. She leaves and kills those who killed her family only to be taken advantage of by the corrupt politicians in her home. A brilliant teamwork of actors, writers, and directors this show is mindblowing and true masterpiece of chinese period dramas.The FL does a phenomenal job in invoking raw brute/strength while also maintaining the fragility of a woman in a men's system/world. How on earth she managed those fight scenes remains the biggest magical part of the show.
Was this review helpful to you?
Overall a fun time but not very memorable.
This drama straight cruising at a low altitude without a care in the world. The stakes are low in all its plot threads: political scheming, wuxia fights and romance in general. I never really felt any excitement. The plot was pretty predictable. It's simply a lighthearted and easy watching experience. It's not a bad thing but definitely not very memorable because of that.It's got good pacing though, the story doesn't move too fast or slow throughout it's run. I like that it didn't try to push for the usually 36 or 40 episodes.
I liked the couples but I didn't find the romances that compelling. The three main couples all looked good together but there wasn't any tension or yearning or anything deep about it.
Bao Shang'en unfortunately gave a weak performance. There were scenes I thought were overacted and others that I thought needed more emotion from her.
Song Weilong was the better actor of the two leads. I think his character just had more to work with. I liked when he became a loser and was obsessed with his wife lol.
The one stand out for me was the costumes/hanfu of this era. The empire waistline two pieces with pretty draped fabrics? They're so colourful and eye-catching!! Song Weilong is handsome for sure but Bao Shang'en was on another level. She looked so beautiful in all the hanfu she wore.
Was this review helpful to you?
Horror Finally Feels Dangerous Again
Colony.7 minutes of applause at Cannes?
Should’ve been 20.
The movie borrows DNA from:
Resident Evil,
Aliens,
Train to Busan,
World War Z,
Invasion of the Body Snatchers,
and even The Great Wall…
yet somehow it never feels like a cheap copy.
It feels like a love letter to biological horror.
The infected operate as a hive mind.
They don’t feed.
They don’t think individually.
They coordinate, adapt, and slowly transform the entire building into a living organism.
The walls look like xenomorph nests.
The corridors feel like The Hive from Resident Evil.
And the true protagonist isn’t Ji Chang-wook…
it’s the infection itself.
What makes the film work so well is that the real horror isn’t only the monsters.
It’s watching humans stop protecting each other.
Cowardice.
Betrayal.
Revenge.
Obsession.
While the colony remains united…
the humans destroy themselves.
And yes, the film absolutely carries videogame DNA:
Resident Evil,
Aliens,
Left 4 Dead,
The Last of Us…
but it never abuses those influences.
It uses that visual language to create tension, not to show off references.
And the ending…
those absolute bastards.
Just when you think everything is over,
the movie leaves you with the most terrifying possibility of all:
what if the hive no longer needs a leader?
This is how intelligent entertainment is done.
Was this review helpful to you?
PERFECT CROWN: The Perfect Era of WANSOENG ❤️
Some dramas entertain people for a few weeks. Some dramas become popular for a short moment. But once in many years, a drama comes that becomes more than just a show. A drama that stays in hearts forever. A drama that changes emotions, creates memories, dominates worldwide, and gives viewers something unforgettable.PERFECT CROWN was that drama.
From April 10 to May 16, this masterpiece became my comfort zone, my happiness, my emotional home, and one of the greatest experiences I have ever had with a K-drama. Even after the ending, it still feels unreal that this beautiful journey is over. I am still thinking about every episode, every scene, every smile, every tear, every moment of GRAND PRINCE I-AN and SEONG HUI JU.
And honestly… I still cannot move on.
I have no words strong enough to fully describe how PERFECT, BEAUTIFUL, BRILLIANT, and EMOTIONAL this drama was. The acting, cinematography, OST, directing, royal atmosphere, historical setting, costumes, emotional depth, romance, tension, comedy, teasing moments, fighting moments, cuddles, hugs, eye contact, kisses… everything felt magical and next level.
This drama did not only give us romance.
It gave us FEELINGS.
And the biggest reason behind that was WANSOENG.
WANSOENG was not just a couple.
They became an emotion.
A phenomenon.
A legendary pairing.
One of the GREATEST K-DRAMA CHEMISTRIES OF ALL TIME.
IU and BYEON WOO SEOK did not just act together — they completely lived their characters. Their chemistry felt natural, insane, powerful, lovely, emotional, soft, intense, and absolutely unforgettable. Every scene together made my heart flutter. Every smile between them felt real. Every emotional moment hit deeply. Their teasing, joking, fighting, comforting, hugging, cuddling, and kissing scenes were beyond beautiful.
The ship kiss scene…
The wedding ceremony…
The bed cuddle scene…
That legendary romantic kiss scene…
Every single moment between WANSOENG made me smile, cry, scream, and fall in love with them even more.
I genuinely have not seen chemistry like this in a very long time.
People criticized their chemistry even before the drama aired. They judged too early and spoke negatively without even watching. But after IU and BYEON WOO SEOK showed what REAL and TRUE chemistry actually looks like, those same people became silent. Because WANSOENG proved everything through their acting, emotions, comfort, connection, and unbelievable screen presence.
They are truly meant for each other on screen.
And for longtime K-drama fans, this reunion felt even more emotional because it brought back the feelings many people missed since Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo in 2016. That drama left a huge emotional scar for fans, and after 10 years, seeing IU and BYEON WOO SEOK together in PERFECT CROWN felt like destiny. It felt like something viewers had been waiting for forever.
This drama satisfied emotions that fans carried for years.
IU… where do I even begin?
NOONA, QUEEN, PRINCESS — your talent is truly unreal. The emotions you delivered as SEONG HUI JU were breathtaking. Every tear felt real. Every expression carried pain, love, elegance, softness, and strength. You once again proved why you are one of the greatest actresses and artists of this generation. The hard work you gave to this role could clearly be seen in every scene. Your acting was graceful, emotional, powerful, and unforgettable.
And BYEON WOO SEOK…
KING.
PRINCE.
OPPA.
Your portrayal of GRAND PRINCE I-AN was absolutely incredible. Your emotional acting, expressions, charisma, romantic scenes, pain, love, protectiveness, and chemistry with IU created one of the most unforgettable male leads in modern K-drama history. You made viewers completely fall in love with your character.
And the supporting cast also deserves massive praise.
STEVE NOH, GONG SEUNG YEON, LEE YEON, YOO SOO BIN, the LITTLE KING, and every actor in this drama gave amazing performances that made the world of PERFECT CROWN feel alive and emotional. Everyone played their roles beautifully.
The production team also deserves appreciation and respect. Thank you for choosing this cast, especially IU and BYEON WOO SEOK for these roles. It truly felt like a dream casting choice. Even with the rushed episode reduction and controversies surrounding production decisions, the heart and passion inside this drama still shined brighter than everything else.
And about the backlash and hate…
Honestly, every truly GREAT drama faces criticism.
The biggest dramas in history always had haters, controversies, and negativity surrounding them. That is actually one sign of massive popularity and impact. If nobody talks, criticizes, debates, or reacts emotionally, then the drama never reached greatness.
PERFECT CROWN reached greatness.
Even with criticism, backlash, and ridiculous controversy, this drama still dominated ratings, conversations, trends, worldwide discussions, and social media. It became a GLOBAL PHENOMENON. It competed with international shows, dominated rankings, peaked worldwide, and brought back the feeling of the Hallyu wave again. People everywhere were talking about WANSOENG.
And despite all negativity, the success could not be stopped.
No matter how much hate appeared, nobody could erase the chemistry, emotional impact, popularity, performances, and love this drama received from real viewers worldwide.
Haters tried to bring them down.
But instead, PERFECT CROWN became even bigger.
That is the funniest part.
And honestly? The cast deserves much more love instead of unnecessary hate. They worked extremely hard and gave viewers a masterpiece that many people will remember forever.
I truly hope this drama receives many awards because it deserves recognition for everything it achieved — acting, chemistry, cinematography, popularity, emotional impact, OST, directing, and worldwide success.
WANSOENG deserves Best Couple awards.
IU deserves acting awards.
BYEON WOO SEOK deserves acting awards.
The drama itself deserves Drama of the Year.
And even now after the ending…
I still miss them.
Still cry thinking about them.
Still replay scenes.
Still listen to the OST.
Still wish we got 16 episodes instead of 12.
Still waiting for updates, special episodes, behind-the-scenes clips, interviews, and hopefully another reunion project in the future.
Because WANSOENG is unforgettable.
They are the ROYAL COUPLE.
They are the PERFECT COUPLE.
They are WANSOENG.
And they will forever stay in my heart.
No matter how much negativity exists, no one can stop truly shining stars. IU and BYEON WOO SEOK shined brightly together and created one of the most beautiful on-screen couples in K-drama history.
Thank you, PERFECT CROWN.
Thank you, WANSOENG.
Thank you for every emotion, every smile, every tear, and every unforgettable memory.
This was not just a drama.Everything was Very Perfect to me,
This was history. 👑✨
PERFECT CROWN & WANSOENG — The Definition of Perfect Chemistry ❤️🔥
PERFECT CROWN: WANSOENG’s Perfect Love Ruled Our Hearts 👑
WANSOENG Made PERFECT CROWN Truly Perfect ✨
PERFECT CROWN — A Perfect Story Blessed by WANSOENG 👑
PERFECT CROWN & WANSOENG — One of K-Drama’s Most Perfect Couples ✨
#PERFECTCROWN
#WANSOENG
#WANSOENGFOREVER
#IU
#BYEONWOOSEOK
#GRANDPRINCEIAN
#SEONGHUIJU
#KDRAMA2026
#Masterpiece
#LegendaryChemistry
#RoyalCouple
#GlobalPhenomenon
#HallyuWave
#DramaOfTheYear
#BestCouple
#ForeverInMyHeart
Was this review helpful to you?
Best action kdrama
almost cried with the end, I feel so sorry for gicheul. In another life, he and junmo are the bestest of friends.at first I dropped the show by episode 6, but came back and I don't regret that decision. this would be in my top 3 kdramas I've enjoyed so far. Things started getting interesting for me by episode 7. I love that they know how to get you hooked and don't rush anything. I hope i can find another kdrama that gives me the emotions I felt with this one. I wish I could've had the experience again of first watching this.
I loved the story, music, production. best series and really recommend for kaction watchers!!
Was this review helpful to you?
Loved it from my pov it was so exciting. ❤️ Waiting for next part
Okay peope who have read novels etc.. they r hating it ok fine.But for somone who did not read novel etc.. and love this fantasy action adventure type stories i loved it.
The cast was amazing male leads did top work every character i find good. Even cgi and all i found everything magical. But i think pacing of story kinda fast. But i like it. And waiting for next part.
I hope that for novel readers who r hating that the director changed everything plz director listen to them, now try to make them happy in next part. Dont get disheartened and so... As he is also human , mistake can happen, so in life never hate or love someone or something too much 😁.
As i love the cast and actually overall. For me it was so exciting to watch . Plz release the next part soon.
Was this review helpful to you?
The writing is so good it takes your breath away
Park Hae Young has hit the proverbial baseball out of the park.Phenomenal performances by a group of esteemed actors, a production of discreet perfection by a crew and director who deserve a thousand drunken toasts.
A story about storytelling that was so rich and real that I kept talking back to the screen and giving the characters advice. It was embarrassing. I had to keep the door closed.
And there was a poet. Of course. A drunken poet! When he wrote a poem about spring I was so baked by that point that I sobbed all the way through it as the lines appeared, superimposed on the scene.
I realized what I had been missing this year in kdrama. It was topicality. I always say that Kdrama is all about the emotion and the music, but emotion is always and only driven by our feelings about reality. About our realities, as different as they may be.
Lately shows have been tiptoeing around real life in Korea as if they were trying to behave themselves for international viewers. Even the actors have been looking bland and dispirited in kdrama lately.
PHY's characters talk about everything important in their lives, including the threat of AI, the appropriation of women's work, childhood trauma and the overcoming of it, pride, jealousy and despair... they do a lot of drinking and fighting, and then get up the next morning and go to work again.
The one thing the characters do not talk about directly but do consistently show is love. Love between lovers, between friends, in the family and between the most married couple you have seen this year (and I do not mean that final term positively).
So much happens in each episode that I would nervously stop to see if the episode was almost over and find it had barely started!
This show does take some fortitude. I have known a few people like the main character, Hwang Dong Man, and they have been very difficult to take. Annoying, abrasive and embarrassing. Koo Kyo hwan is a great film actor, but you never know how that skill will turn out in dramas. This is a tour de force. Not the least because KKH has the capacity to imperceptibly slip from being incredibly irritating into Chaplinesque behavior, awkward and heartfelt.
Totally recommended. Astounding, amazing and wonderful.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
ROMERAFFY & DEAN
[Disclaimers: This is my first drama of all the actors except the recurring ones from S1. I have read only ROMERAFFY's parts in the novel. I don't remember much from S1 as I bingewatched it in a night.]This drama was hardcarried by its actors. The writing was a bit annoyingly bad because the plot points were right there, if only they had tried to utilise them and maintain the flow. The characters were also sloppily written especially ARNOLD & TUA. Their relationship dynamic was the most boring of the lot and the fact that I didn't vibe with Joss and Gawin's acting didn't help.
My favourite character was DEAN: he was Machiavellian, sure, but he was also poor and not well-backed and priviledged like the rest of the characters and I feel the viewers and the writers conveniently forget this point, just like Jack. Dean has the burden to provide for himself, his sister and his mother (iirc) and he is just a university student. Plus, the nepotism and bias in the industry keep him from following his dream, which let's be real is very difficult to fulfill if one is poor and without connections and in this day and age, not popular. So, obviously he takes up the hosting job, does the couple thing with Arnold. He does what he can. The only downside to him is that he isn't truthful to Jack and is spiteful towards Raffy. But given how we see Jack questioning every decision he took, including his following Gameplay to his home, when he was stranded homeless, it is clear why Dean lies to Jack. Because no mater what he does, Jack will always nitpick. Jack stirs their relationship in whichever way he wants and treats Dean's views as secondary which Dean kind of internalises and hence wants to "change" for Jack. Jack created that pressure, even when they were on that break he reminded Dean that he had multiple Romeos he could easily get with. He is always ready to judge Dean for his choices but cannot provide alternatives to his problems. It is almost sadistic how he reacts when Dean is left alone by both Tua and himself and hence chooses safety in Gameplay's house. Jack's insecurity keeps him blinded from seeing Dean's situation. Also, the writers did such disservice by completely shoving the drug incident under the rug which led to that almost kiss between Arnold and Dean. I don't see Tua and Jack's reaction to that almost kiss to be overdone because cheating is anxiety-inducing and even though Arnold and Dean didn't kiss they wanted to/were about to and that also counts as cheating. However, the writers could have cleaned that mess by revealing the drinking and drugs that influenced some of that, especially in Dean's case. Jack was obviously insecure and hurt as Dean didn't tell him directly, and that made him rightfully mad as he saw that as a pattern. On the other hand, Tua being in an unrequited love with Arnold for long, obviously felt insecure as Arnold anyway had not shown his intentions clearly. This is a point I disagree on with a lot of viewers that their reactions were too dramatic for a non-kiss. Jack and Dean definitely felt like exes who still have lingering feelings and EarthMix played them so well. I cried during that breakup exhibition scene and kind of wanted them to have a last kiss in the last episode but didn't envision them ending up together as we aren't sure Jack has had enough development and as we see Dean choosing a different more stable profession but agreeing to act in Jack's play again, leaves us with doubts about whether their dynamic has changed. And anyway, one year can change only so much. They remind me of SandRay because I hadn't wanted them to end up together either.
The other character I liked was Raffy mainly because Boom embodied him so well. He is this entitled nepo kid who thinks he deserves the best of everything. I am kind of iffy about him liking Rome the same way Rome likes him but his jealousy over Pete liking Rome was very clear. Rome's character was a bit flat as the writers probably tried too hard to make him a green flag. He almost doesn't fit into the OF universe given how morally correct he is about everything. He was so head-over-heels for Raffy that it's almost impossible for him to hold a grudge. Bro just couldn't resist Raffy lol. RomeRaffy were easily the best part of the show.
The cast and crew said that this season is more character-driven and I side with them. I find the characters of this season to be much cooler individually. The earlier season had more drama and shock-value but this season they tried to be deeper story-wise. The catch is that the vision of the play and the behind-the-scenes drama of the play was so cool but the screenplay fell flat partly because of their CP agenda. They could've let Dean and Raffy kiss, Jack and Raffy kiss and Arnold and Dean kiss to match the premise they had set. The danger the intro sets doesn't translate into the episodes and it's frustrating to see them be so tame. I didn't want the cross-pair kissing for the drama but for the flow of the plot. Their relationship dynamics promised a lot of tension but couldn't deliver it. A lot of people who were fans of the 1st season are rightfully sad about it.
The intro was so cool, I never skipped it. The ROMERAFFY scenes are delicious and even their non-NC scenes (that one where Rome and Raffy are playing with the DJ set and their hands are on top of each other and that scene where Rome is backhugging Raffy to console him) are oozing with chemistry. They remind me of The Eighth Sense's couple - every touch, every glance screams they want to be together at any given point of time. I am so on the AouBoom train. I am seated for Billionaire Biker and am considering watching the other series they're in. They got the least amount of screentime but DELIVERED.
Even with its flaws, I was excited for every Friday and enjoyed watching the drama. I also enjoyed going on MDL comments and Tumblr every week and reading everyone's opinions of it. That, to me, is the best part of watching an ongoing drama.
Was this review helpful to you?
Bring sports romcoms back immediately
I missed this kind of sports romance drama so much. Watching this honestly felt like going back to the old days when we used to get these motivating, emotional, chemistry-filled romcoms more often, and now I desperately need new dramas like this again. What really made the series work for me is how alive everything feels, the training, the competitions, the university atmosphere, the friendships, the ambition, all of it blends naturally with the romance instead of competing against it. Duan Yu Cheng’s determination is genuinely infectious, and I loved how his relationship with Luo Na develops through admiration, trust, and support rather than unnecessary drama. Once they finally get together, they honestly become one of the strongest couples I’ve seen in this genre because their relationship feels so stable and reassuring. The age gap dynamic was also handled really well, especially through Luo Na’s hesitation and the pressure coming from societal expectations, which made her eventual choice feel even more meaningful.Wang Anyu… I missed him so much. Put this man back into romcoms immediately because his chemistry with Gina Jin was absolutely on fire and carried every single scene. Their interactions felt natural, playful, emotional, romantic, everything at once. It’s the kind of drama that makes you smile, root for the characters, and miss this genre all over again once it’s over.
Was this review helpful to you?
The story of Residence and Ink making brought down by predictable plot
Yang Zi is easily my favourite C-actress by a mile, and overall, I’m really enjoying this drama so far, even though it definitely has its flaws.The biggest strengths are the FL’s acting, how cute her maternal family is (mom, grandpa and brother with his wife), and the whole ink-making angle is genuinely quite interesting. Learning about how they would enforce certain rules and keep trade secrets is pretty cool, as well as just the process of creating ink. It's not something I was ever interested in, but the drama did a good job of making me interested and invested in the whole thing.
Of course, you have to suspend disbelief a little when it comes to how quickly the FL is able to recreate ancient inks that have supposedly been lost for over a century. Even with notes and hints, it still feels a bit far-fetched, but her determination and unbreakable spirit make the journey engaging enough that I can overlook it.
That said, the negatives are unfortunately pretty glaring for me. At first, the drama seemed like it was aiming for a more grounded and realistic tone, where even the villains had their own human motivations and weren't entirely evil, at least that's the vibe I was getting early on. But somewhere along the way, it slipped into the usual C-drama ragebait family drama territory, with the FL constantly being mistreated by ungrateful and cartoonishly cruel people whose motivations feel weak and repetitive (looking at the aunt, uncle, and their lackeys). What makes it even more frustrating is that the grandma, grandpa, and her aunt mostly just stand by and do nothing to defend her (at least they help her... sometimes... and then ditch her again).
The plot is moving along exactly as you would expect. There are literally no surprises along the way, none!!!. Everything is painfully obvious and full of clichés.
My other issue is that the ML and some of the side characters have no impact on the story whatsoever. I’m actually a big fan of Elvis, and some of his modern dramas are among my favourites, but he just doesn’t feel convincing in this role. He is more of a background character and doesn’t really contribute much to moving the plot along. He just kind of exists in this world without much to do, except occasionally helping FL (that seems like his only function so far). If you were to remove him entirely, there would be almost no effect on the story. The whole revenge arc that they are building up, I can already tell how it's going to go, and I'm just not interested (that whole Tian Family is just another lazy ragebait plot device). I hope I am proven wrong tho. I still like Elvis as an actor, I just don’t think this role suits him particularly well. He is neither believable as a naive scholar-to-be (in the earlier episodes), nor as a hardened travelling merchant (after the time skip)
Overall, while the drama isn’t especially original or perfect, I’m still having a good time watching it. If you love Yang Zi, then definitely watch it. If not, you can probably skip this one. So far, it’s nothing special.
Was this review helpful to you?
Park Eun-bin absolutely stole this drama
“Wonderfools” was chaotic in the best way possible 😭The cast chemistry honestly carried the whole drama for me. Park Eun-bin as Eun Chae-ni was SO GOOD — she perfectly balanced childish chaos, naughty energy, and emotional vulnerability. When Chae-ni learned about her heart condition, the emotional switch in her acting genuinely hit hard.
And the way Cha Eun-woo’s Lee Woon-jung quietly protected her from everyone’s carelessness instead of making it dramatic… those small moments worked really well for me.
The VFX and overall fantasy atmosphere were honestly better than I expected too. The powers looked fun instead of cheap, and the drama fully embraced the weird chaotic energy of its world.
I also liked that at some point I started feeling sympathy even for Ha Won-do’s side. Son Hyun-joo made the villain feel more human instead of just “evil scientist bad.” Though I do think the opposing villain group got nerfed later compared to how threatening they first felt.
And that last teaser with the mad scientist returning? Yeah… they definitely knew people would want more chaos 😭
The story had some uneven parts for me, but the acting, cast chemistry, comedy, emotional moments, and fun atmosphere made it a really memorable watch overall.
8/10.
Was this review helpful to you?
