Reviews

So this was a good time!

Sometimes you just need a series that’s mindlessly entertaining, and this one was exactly that. Perfect for a lazy Saturday afternoon when you have a few free hours and don’t feel like doing anything productive.

What Worked:
This is an eerie fantasy full of revenge, power, rage, ghosts, mythology, and strong Stranger Things vibes. To be honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started it, but I had a feeling I’d enjoy it — and I really did.
The plot and character development are solid. The final few twists had me on the edge of my seat, and I’m genuinely hoping for a second season. It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s very enjoyable.
What Didn’t Work:
There are moments when the pacing becomes extremely slow. You’ll need some patience to get through the middle of the series.
The “other” world-building could have used more detail — we get very few explanations.
I also wish there had been less romance. I know the description never promised otherwise, but I can still wish for it.
Overall:
It’s a decent, entertaining show — as long as you don’t go in with sky-high expectations and you enjoy this type of story.

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Nice drama to watch

This is a nice drama to watch, especially for the FL, who always delivers a great performance.
Even with the license of exaggeration about the corporate world, showing several secondary leads that are impossible to exist in the corporate world, closer to a comic book than to reality, the episodes were easy to watch.
For me, the most important part is the reflection on having a relationship in the company (no serious organization would allow your subordinate to be your partner), the difficulties of living together with a partner with the demands of the competitive corporate world, and the evolution of the female leader as she seeks to find and overcome her flaws to build a relationship.
Overall, I had a good time.

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At least the first half was a good time!

I was prejudiced against this show because of its mafia boss premise for the longest time, and people’s reviews highlighting the cheesy lakorn-inspired flirting weren’t convincing me to give it a chance. However, I found myself scrolling through the GMMTV catalogue on a day with nothing particular to do, and this was the only show with relatively good reviews I hadn’t watched. Also, the mention it earned itself in Head 2 Head alongside the general hype surrounding it (which seems to have resulted in the sequel “Peach and me”?) were all the more reasons to put on an episode.

And just like that one episode became two, two became three, and I was hooked.

I actually had no issue with the cheesy flirting and the out-of-touch mafia boss lead. I even found the dynamic Thee and Peach had very enjoyable to watch, at least in the beginning. Even the cringe moments (that were definitely there) did not result in as much second-embarrassment as I imagined they would. I really enjoy shows depicting class differences and how such are navigated in relationships, so I was living for every single moment in which Peach told Thee off. It seemed to me that Thee was also improving up until they labelled each other boyfriends. Then it all went downhill.

For one, as soon as they established some sort of (shaky) common ground, the fun back and forth they had almost disappeared. Thee continued with his rich antics from the beginning of the show, and Peach would simply shake his head and only intervene when things really crossed his boundaries. Their relationship was elevated, but their chemistry didn’t go anywhere - this show had some of the worst kisses and intimate scenes I’ve seen, so when the proposal eventually came, I was completely flabbergasted. Nothing I had seen on screen so far suggested the emotional and physical closeness I would expect from a couple about to get married. In general, I had somewhat of a hard time believing Peach was just as into Thee as much as Thee was into him. The development of his feelings was mostly believable until he opened up about his childhood trauma in the hospital, but after that, other than Thee pampering him and saving his life once, what other reason did Peach have to love him?

Thee barely changed as a character. Sure, he got a taste of Peach’s normal life, he made a compromise or two, but in the end of the day, he didn’t have to give up anything to be with Peach. Peach not only had to give up his safety (for a time being, apparently everything was fine after the Japanese company left the country. What?), he also had to completely change his lifestyle, obey to Thee to show his love (bathe him, brush his teeth, literally what the fuck), commit to a marriage like, what, one month into the relationship AND he even got children in the end of this all? I would’ve much rather preferred Thee ruining his relationship with his family, exposing the negative sides of being this rich and therefore constantly in danger, eventually choosing to move in with Peach and have a peaceful and normal life with him.

Speaking of Thee and his perfume business: is he a mafia boss in the end or not? The money laundering allegations of ARSENI were rejected, and sure, he used money to get his way, but the show also constantly insisted on him doing things (mostly) lawfully. So why did Peach keep calling him a “mafia boss” if even his own father said he did everything better than him, and why was there a fucking gun on that wedding poster? I mean, if I have to be very real, no such amount of wealth is accumulated in lawful ways and without human exploitation, but if the show wanted to portray Thee as a “good rich person”, it should’ve at least stayed consistent with the ways not only Peach, but also everyone else talks about him.

Also, if love was such a big deal for the Lee family, then why did Peach have 0 issues with proving himself? The show set up this conflict to be way more important than it actually ended up being. That, combined with the nothing burger resolution of the rivalry with the Japanese company, made for a really unsatisfying ending. Not to fall into clichés, but it would’ve been 10 times better if something bad had happened to Peach or Thee and they had to confront the fact that, ultimately, they couldn’t keep their promise to ensure the other one’s safety at all times.

On the good side, Mok’s character was iconic, and Est is just perfect for that role (and not only because he looks damn good in those glasses). I really enjoyed watching his reactions to Thee’s actions, as well as his inner conflict between being his friend and his employee, and between prioritising his feelings for Rome and staying professional. That was a great touch to the story. I would’ve loved to know more about how the romance between him and Rome bloomed - was it a childhood crush that carried on? A drunken hookup on one of Mok’s days off that he still regrets to this day? What did Mok like about Rome? Considering the big role Mok had in the show, I would’ve loved to see more of his perspective on things (but maybe we are going to get this in “Peach and me”?).

For good or for bad, I am tuning in for the sequel. If this show has anything going for it, it’s interesting characters. If you expect crazy chemistry, this one is not for you - Peach is like a dead fish in all intimate scenes, and his feelings for Thee seem unbelievable until the very end. Also, if you want to watch something more critical of the rich and capitalism in general, don’t even think about starting this one. “Me and Thee” was a fun time, but the longer one thinks about its contents, the more one realises they are the result of pure brainrot (maybe similarly to Thee, the screenwriters had AI assisting them…)

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Un ragazzo diviso tra due Coree e un'adolescenza rubata da una missione impossibile

Con “Commitment” ci troviamo davanti a un thriller d’azione che mescola spionaggio, dramma familiare e una buona dose di malinconia. Il film appartiene a quel filone di pellicole sudcoreane che esplorano la complessa e dolorosa divisione tra le due Coree, ma lo fa con uno sguardo che punta più all'intrattenimento che alla riflessione politica profonda.

TRAMA
La figura al centro della vicenda è quella di Ri Myung Hoon, un giovane nordcoreano che, dopo il fallimento di una missione del padre, viene imprigionato in un campo di lavoro insieme alla sorella minore. Per salvarla, accetta di diventare lui stesso una spia, infiltrandosi nella Corea del Sud con l'identità di uno studente liceale. La sua missione: eliminare alcuni agenti nordcoreani ribelli. Il premio per il successo? La libertà sua e della sorella.
A Seul verrà accolto da una pseudo coppia quale figlio adottivo – in realtà sono tutti agenti segreti nordcoreani – e tornerà tra i banchi di scuola per rendere ancora più credibile la sua copertura: lì entrerà in contatto con dinamiche adolescenziali dalle quali si terrà inizialmente alla larga ma – essendo lui stesso dopotutto un ragazzo di vent’anni – finiranno per coinvolgerlo suo malgrado.

PUNTI DI FORZA – Di sicuro le sequenze d'azione: le scene di combattimento sono rapide, brutali di grande impatto. Mi è rimasta impressa in particolare la scena in cui Myung Hoon finisce l’uomo che cerca striscia in fuga sul ring, dopo avergli già sparato alla gamba: il colpo fatale è un calcio mirato che spezza di fatto il collo all’indietro (non si vede da vicino, ma il rumore secco rievoca quasi una decapitazione). Una scena fortissima che sembra stridere ancor di più con l’espressione provata, quasi angosciata a stento soppressa, con la quale lui si guarda allo specchio pochi secondi dopo. Coglie in pieno il senso di un giovane che si costringe a comportarsi come un cinico assassino pur essendo ancora una vittima umana nel profondo.

CAST - Choi Seung Hyun nasce come popolare rapper – in arte T.O.P. – e non come attore, ma nonostante la mancanza di esperienza riesce a portare in scena un protagonista credibile e dal carisma all'occorrenza glaciale, capace di trasmettere una determinazione che conquista lo spettatore. La sua interpretazione di un ragazzo intrappolato in un gioco molto più grande di lui è efficace, meno credibile invece la sua fisicità nel ruolo di un'abile spia. Buona anche la prova di Han Ye Ri, che veste i panni della compagna di classe bullizzata e con la quale sembra a un certo punto aprirsi uno spiraglio per un romance che vira invece a favore di un legame simbolico volto a richiamare – anche attraverso lo stesso nome di battesimo - la sorella di lui. Marginale la presenza della suddetta sorella, portata in scena da una giovanissima Kim Yoo Jung: avrei preferito le fosse stato dato più spazio, già che il legame tra i due fratelli è una delle tematiche principali del drama.

I LIMITI – Un progetto forse troppo ambizioso per le capacità schierate, dall’esordiente regia alla sceneggiatura a tratti sbilanciata. Ne consegue la difficoltà di combinare due contesti così diversi: l’ambiente scolastico e le dinamiche con i compagni da una parte, la difficile e tragica situazione che minaccia la vita dei due fratelli dall’altra. Nella seconda parte del film, inoltre, si perde un po’ anche la profondità tematica a favore di dello sviluppo del thriller che, per quanto ben fatto, appiattisce quella che era la complessità iniziale.

Il finale, amaro e malinconico, se da una parte sembra cercare un tono più realistico, dall’altra è comunque prevedibile e per certi versi stereotipato, per quanto riesca comunque a strappare qualche lacrima. Pur non cedendo a un happy ending che sarebbe stato senz’altra fuori luogo, avrei optato per un’altra soluzione ancora e ricercato un epilogo un po’ più originale.

IN CONCLUSIONE – Non è certo un film rivoluzionario del suo genere, ma appassiona a sufficienza e offre un buon intrattenimento. Sebbene abbia peccato di ambizione, cercando di essere troppe cose – thriller, dramma, storia d’amore – senza eccellere in nessuna, la buona qualità tecnica e la valida interpretazione del protagonista la rendono una visione più che dignitosa.

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Really slow moving ...

I did watch the entire series, but at times it was very difficult to stay with it. It's basically watching the female protagonist's diary play out on screen. As she makes each entry on a new relationship, that's another episode! She shows herself to have a real problem with what a relationship is all about. Finding the right person seems an impossible task, and when she does find the right man ... she cheats on him like crazy.
Hana Sugisaki must have gained weight during this production ... her character never stops eating. I mean, if you like watching someone eat, this series is for you. Practically every scene involved her eating a meal with someone or by herself. Breakfast at home, lunch at cafes, dinner at restaurants, a late meal at a bar with drinks. It's just non stop eating, and not the kind of stuff where the food is in front of her, but mouthful after mouthful in between dialogue. It either makes you hungry or makes you nauseous.
Nevertheless ... there were some interesting points during the series, so I found myself wanting to continue to watch, just to see how it all played out. In the end it kind of finishes up the way you expected it to, no real surprises. I wouldn't give it high marks, but the acting is very real and genuine, so definitely thumbs up to the actors.

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Todoroki and Odajima stole the show

I don't know how to feel about this one.

I didn't really like the plot. It's a bit messy to me. There were many new characters introduced in this movie, whom I didn't really have many feelings about. Since they didn't have backstories that are deep enough for me to feel anything yet.

The main characters' stories also felt weaker than the previous movie. I also think it's probably the weakest one throughout the High&Low universe. I feel like this is not the High&Low that I am familiar with anymore. Most of the fights seem so meaningless now, except for the ones in the second half and the final battle. I feel like they just kept fighting for nothing. I also feel like this is not really a story about friendship and brotherhood, but it's more like a BL movie disguised as a movie about friendship. I don't dislike it, though. I pretty enjoyed it, to be honest. It's just not really the High&Low bonding I was used to.

The fight scenes were still done pretty well, even though they felt a bit more unrealistic compared to the previous movies. I loved the High&Low's iconic theme music and the movie's new soundtrack songs too.

There are actually a few supporting characters that stole the show for me. They are Todoroki and Odajima, and Sachio's brief appearance at the end, who were already introduced before. Todoroki and Odajima were already badass dudes when they were alone. Who can imagine they would become close friends? And that's so perfect! They were such a powerful duo.

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It gets there eventually

The good:

There are many good moments littered throughout the series. Humour, sadness, interesting events.

It was nice to see Quebec City, a place I’ve been to many times, be featured so prominently. The old town is really a magical place in all seasons.

The casting was good. It did take me a little time to warm up to the ML but he won me over in the end.

Visual effects were definitely good enough. No real complaints. Some of the more practical effects were good - not everything has to be CGI.

The bad:

The real let down for me is the soundtrack. I am not usually so conscious of the soundtrack in a show. I’m sure it’s having its intended effect but it’s felt rather than noticed. However some of the songs repeated throughout the show were grating.

It was hard getting past how much of an unpleasant person our ML was for the whole first half of the show. You have to be messed up after that life but that’s a long time to have matured but seemingly not do it. It somewhat saves the age difference issue since ML and FL both acted like children together.

The pacing in the middle section was pretty slow for me.

Overall I did enjoy it and would recommend it to others who like supernatural stories.

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when a Palace built on Forgotten Sins Unravels.....

TL;DR Version
The East Palace is an addictive, binge-worthy drama that succeeds because of two things: its strong performances and engaging storyline. Despite its supernatural elements, this is not a horror drama. Instead, it blends Joseon-era mystery, suspense, fantasy, and action into an entertaining ride. I rated it 8/10 because, while it is an excellent drama, a 10/10 for me means a flawless masterpiece. Compared to the many dramas and films I have watched, it has a few areas where it falls slightly short. Here are my thoughts:

🞴 WHAT I LIKED:
➥ (1) THE CAST & ACTING: The biggest strength of this drama is undoubtedly its cast. Both the main and supporting actors deliver memorable performances, and many viewers will recognise them from their previous works.

● Nam Joo Hyuk [ML] makes his return after military service, and he completely delivers. He handles every emotion convincingly — from action and comedy to pain, anger, and love. His performance carries the drama, and he proves once again why he is such a compelling lead.
● Roh Yoon Seo [FL] was a pleasant surprise. I had previously seen her in 20th Century Girl, where she had limited screen time, but here she truly shines. Her character is not a typical damsel in distress. She stands alongside the male lead, contributing equally as they face the dangers together.
● Cho Seung Woo as the King was excellent. Having seen him in Stranger, I already knew his ability, but he plays this flawed character brilliantly. You may dislike him, but you cannot completely hate him — and that complexity makes his performance fascinating.
● Kwak Dong Yeon [Crown Prince] continues to prove why he is one of the most versatile actors of his generation. As the Crown Prince, he is intimidating, manipulative, and captivating. My only complaint is that I wanted more of his character’s background and motivations because he had the potential to become an even more memorable antagonist.
● Jang Young Nam was another standout. Whether she plays good or evil, she always leaves an impression. Her portrayal of the Queen Dowager perfectly captures the ambition and ruthlessness of a Joseon power player. Also, her iconic way of screaming might be the easiest way to recognise her in any drama now.

➥ (2) STORYTELLING:
I was already interested in watching this because I enjoy Joseon palace mysteries, and Nam Joo Hyuk’s return made it even more exciting. My only concern was whether the horror elements would make it difficult to watch. Thankfully, that was not the case. This is more of a supernatural action thriller with some horror-inspired visuals rather than an actual horror drama. There are no unnecessary jump scares, and it never becomes uncomfortable to watch.

What I appreciated most was that the drama respected its mystery. The loose ends were explained, characters received meaningful background, and the story took time to build its world before diving deeper into the main conflict. Some twists were predictable because I have watched many similar stories, but that did not reduce my enjoyment. A suspense drama succeeds when it makes you immediately press play on the next episode — and The East Palace achieves that. It is exciting, well-paced overall, and keeps the audience invested until the end.

➥ (3) ROMANCE/CHEMISTRY: This was one of my favourite aspects of the drama. Many dramas force romance into the story even when it does not naturally belong. Sometimes unnecessary romantic scenes can actually weaken the impact of a plot because they feel added only to please viewers. That was not the case here.

The romance in The East Palace is subtle, emotional, and not spoken out loud - it was simply there, and beautiful. The connection between the leads comes through their actions, sacrifices, expressions, and quiet moments rather than unnecessary scenes. The hugs, hand-holding, trust, and willingness to protect each other felt far more meaningful than a hundred dramatic kisses would have been. For a story set in this time period, this approach worked perfectly. Nam Joo Hyuk and Roh Yoon Seo created a beautiful bond, and their chemistry was one of the drama’s biggest strengths.

➥ (4) BGM: The music was beautiful - especially during action sequence, mystery unraveling scenes and the credits. I liked how it was a fusion of traditional music and at times metal rock? I am not knowledgeable to categorize it well, but whatever it was it helped keep the excitement, making you bob-your head or tap-your fingers and added that auditory sensation needed for a drama of such scale and genre to bring it to life.

🞴 WHAT I DISLIKED:
➥ (1) Somewhat OPEN-ENDING: This is a Netflix problem - My biggest issue is with the final “chain-dragging” element. I appreciate when mystery dramas close their stories properly and answer all important questions. Thankfully, this drama does that. However, adding something that hints at another season feels unnecessary. One reason I fell in love with Korean dramas was that many of them told complete stories without endlessly expanding them. I hope this does not become another series stretched simply because it is successful. I felt this story was finite but then the last minute ending scene made me go "Oh No! Not Another One" & hence the minus points cause it dimmed the overall viewing experience.

➥ (2) PACE of FINALE EP: The finale was slightly disappointing compared to the episodes before it. The earlier episodes had me completely engaged, watching every little detail. However, the final episode felt slower, and some scenes reduced the overall impact. Instead of ending with the excitement I expected, the pacing made the conclusion feel less powerful than it could have been.

➥ (3) LOW REWATCH VALUE: This is both the strength and weakness of suspense dramas. Once you know the twists and reveals, the excitement naturally decreases. Unless a drama has exceptional performances, unforgettable music, or moments worth revisiting, I usually do not return to thrillers. For me, The East Palace is a fantastic first-time experience, but it is not a drama I would personally rewatch. I will remember it positively, but the mystery works best when experienced for the first time.

➥ (4) VFX & FINAL SHOWDOWN: I know this drama is from Netflix and will be marketed well, it is already doing rounds on social media. The visual effects are good - no doubt. I just had an issue on how it is executed. Like I can see that the visuals are great, there are some cool action moves - but a lot of it was lost cause of the gimmicks. I am not sure how to explain it - but it was not sharp - there are times when we simply zoom into faces and swords - but it did not make me jump in my seat in excitement. I have seen my fare share of good VFX especially with sword-fighting action, so this one did not make my eyes go wide with wonder. Continuation of Ep 8 pacing woes - the finale showdown could have been better, imo. The fights earlier in the show were massive and interesting, the last one should be even better - but it was not in comparison.

🞴 OVERALL:
The East Palace is a drama I would definitely recommend for a one-time watch. Its biggest strengths are the acting, story, atmosphere, and especially the chemistry between the leads. It is one of the more entertaining dramas of 2026 and delivers exactly what a good suspense drama should: curiosity, excitement, and the urge to continue watching. It may not reach masterpiece status for me, but it is still a very good drama that deserves attention. If you enjoy Joseon mysteries with fantasy, action, and political power-play, this should absolutely be on your list.

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