Reviews

ESSA OBRA PRIMA DEVERIA TER MAIS RECONHECIMENTO

Glitch (também conhecida como Anomalia) conta a história de Hong Ji-hyo, uma mulher comum que consegue ver alienígenas. Quando seu namorado desaparece misteriosamente sob um feixe de luz, ela se une a uma antiga amiga e entusiasta de ufologia. Juntas, elas investigam uma seita secreta e uma conspiração perigosa.

Espetáculo de K-drama, nunca tinha visto um drama sobre OVNIs e aliens antes e este me surpreendeu, apesar do alien / alucinação da Jihyo aparecer poucas vezes eu no final eu quase acreditei que os OVNIS eram uma farça da igreja mas quando a Bora e a Jihyo foram abduzidas de verdade no final, UAU e que alien engraçado, fiquei em dúvida quando ele chegou perto da Jihyo se ele retirou o chip ou alguma outra coisa estranha mas foi incrível, e sobre a igreja que estava ligada a alienígenas e essas coisas estranhas, que loucura, achei até bem interessante como eles fizeram várias referências à como os líderes religiosos conseguem enganar e persuadir seus fiéis com seus discursos fajutos. No geral, drama 10/10 que merece muito mais reconhecimento, amei !!!!

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First drama to NOT leave me with unanswered questions

Before I start, I’d like to mention that I only started this drama after seeing one of the scenes with Cha Eun-woo smoking on TikTok, however, it most certainly DID NOT disappoint.
At first, I thought it was some Korean version of Stranger Things, but now that I finished it, it’s everything Stranger Things didn’t manage to be.
Chae-ni, our lead character, is the most unhinged woman I’ve seen in a drama, in a big role. She cannot take almost anything seriously, she acts like a teen although she’s in her late (?) twenties, she has so much personality that I can’t imagine how her heart manages to keep her alive! Most interesting and entertaining (and not at all polite or dainty like most) female lead I’ve met so far!
Lee Woon-jung? Introverted, selfish (at times), traumatized, powerful, with a white tank and a cigarette in hand? God, I couldn’t keep my eyes off the screen. I won’t comment any further due to spoilers, but don’t forget the reason why I started this series!!
The guys are very funny as well, especially their dynamic with and without Chae-ni and Woon-jung. A father who’s family is basically ignoring him, a true 90’s Karen, social services’ worst enemy, whose insane stories drive people away from him, ends up hanging out with a guy who’s been bullied by his entire class during high school, whose job is to peel onions, and whose best friend is none other than the town’s crazy neighbor. What could go wrong with such a diverse friend group? To say the least, A LOT, especially due to their lack of money. The first episode reminded me a lot of The Blair Witch Project, actually.
The only thing I didn’t like about this drama was that there is a credits scene where they kinda hint we might get a season two? I don’t know what more they could do about the story though, as far as I’m concerned, most of the questions were answered and there are little to no plot holes to fill!
Overall, worth every second and every bag of chips eaten in front of the screen, especially since it had a little bit of romance sprinkled on top!!

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Interesting story, terrible ending

From the beginning, this series was characterized by an interesting premise that started slowly but surely, with characters that promised a lot and plots in which you hoped that the antagonists would receive what they deserve, however, all this was eclipsed and I could say forgotten with the last 7 episodes, with very abrupt editing cuts, plots that were not relevant that were closed very quickly without any sense and closures of character arcs that left a lot to be desired like Chen Xuan's Qing or Ye Xian's. And the worst thing is the end of the series, a hasty ending that does not feel like an end at all, which leaves us with a disappointment and a feeling of not having absolute closure to the story or the characters that we were loving so much in the previous episodes.

It would have been a better series if it had another ending or at least another additional episode to close the plots that were left unfinished and at least see the lives of the main characters without intrigues involved.

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Squandered potential

This show has a lot going for it. The actors are great, there's believable chemistry, the premise of the story is classic and evergreen, and the build-up of the romance is extremely sweet.

So why have I dropped it after 10 episodes? The simple answer is that every ounce of tension was killed off after episode 6 and it never recovered. I was enjoying myself immensely until episode 7, even found myself thinking about the characters while I was going about my day. I think that's also why I'm so disappointed and uninterested in finding out how this ends.

Without spoiling too much, there's an important scene in the relationship that is immaculate. I think the show would almost have been perfect for me if that was the second to last episode, and things wrapped up after that scene. Unfortunately, the show had to go on for another 6 episodes, so they injected a meaningless time skip, introduced a silly way for the boys to continue playing games with each other, and chucked a whole bunch of project placements into the mix. The pacing of the next couple of episodes felt baffling, as the relationship between the leads was both regressing and skipping ahead at the same time. In one scene they're joking and hurting each others' feelings, and in the next they act like they've been established lovers for years. When I dropped the show, it felt mostly like how it does when me and my bestie flirt with each other as a joke.

Maybe this thing gets better in the last two episodes. Maybe not. All I know is that I don't have it in me to watch another drawn-out scene of a boy fiddling with a printer, or complimenting how healthy and delicious this iced tea is.

Do better!!!

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Done watching A Splendid Match and honestly, it was such a great and beautiful drama. I truly enjoyed watching it from beginning to end. The story, emotional scenes, acting, and character development were all done very well, which made the drama very memorable for me.
Still, my biggest bias in this drama is definitely Ren Min and Winwin. Ren Min acted so well here. Her chemistry with both the male lead and second male lead was amazing, and she handled every emotional scene perfectly. One thing I always love about Ren Min is her crying scenes. She cries so naturally, and her tears fall like waterfalls. The emotions feel real and sincere instead of forced, which is why I always enjoy watching her emotional scenes. She has this special ability to make viewers genuinely feel the sadness, pain, and heartbreak of her character.
I especially loved her scenes with the second male lead because I was never bored watching them together. Their interactions felt soft, emotional, and very natural. Every scene between them had this emotional tension and warmth that made their chemistry stand out even more for me.
Ye Xian played by Winwin was honestly such a perfect role for him and definitely one of the most memorable characters in the drama. His acting was amazing, and he portrayed Ye Xian’s gentleness, loyalty, sadness, and quiet strength beautifully. Even though his character had a tragic ending, I think it was executed very well and emotionally impactful.
His death scene while fighting on the battlefield as General Ye Xian was heartbreaking but meaningful at the same time. It showed his courage and dignity until the very end. I also loved the letters he left for the female lead, his mother, and his sisters because they were so touching and beautifully written. One of the most emotional parts for me was his message about how he would rather die on the battlefield than slowly die in bed because of his illness. Knowing that the doctors only gave him a limited time to live — only three years because of his sickness — made his decision and sacrifice even more heartbreaking and meaningful. Despite his condition, he still chose to fight bravely and live with honor until his final moments.
Overall, A Splendid Match is truly a beautiful Chinese drama with strong acting, emotional storytelling, and unforgettable characters. After finishing it, I’m honestly hoping even more that Ren Min and Winwin will collaborate again someday, but this time as the main female lead and male lead together. I really think an enemies-to-lovers story would suit them perfectly, especially in a republican-era drama. Their chemistry already feels natural and emotionally engaging, so imagining them in a story filled with tension, misunderstandings, hidden feelings, sacrifice, and slow-burn romance would be amazing. Both of them also have visuals and acting styles that would fit the elegant and emotional atmosphere of a republican drama beautifully.

The letters of Ye Xian were honestly one of the most painful and heartbreaking parts of A Splendid Match. They were written so beautifully yet filled with so much sadness that every word felt heavy emotionally. What made the letters even more hurtful was knowing that Ye Xian already accepted his fate before going to the battlefield. He wasn’t writing simple goodbye letters — it felt like he was quietly preparing for his final moments while trying to leave comfort and love behind for the people he cared about.
The letters to the female lead, his mother, and his sisters were especially touching because you could feel how much he loved them, even while hiding his own pain. Instead of complaining about his suffering or fearing death, Ye Xian chose to speak gently and calmly, which made the scenes even more heartbreaking. Sometimes the quietest pain hurts the most, and that was exactly what his character showed.
One of the most emotional parts was his message about how he would rather die on the battlefield than slowly die in bed because of his illness. Knowing that he had lived for years carrying the burden of having only a limited time to live made his words even more painful. It showed that deep inside, Ye Xian already understood that his life would not be long, yet he still chose to live bravely and protect others until the end.
What made those letters unforgettable was how they reflected Ye Xian’s personality — gentle, selfless, loyal, and tragic. Even in his final moments, he was still thinking more about the feelings of the people he would leave behind instead of himself. That’s why the letters hurt so much emotionally. They didn’t feel overly dramatic; they felt sincere, quiet, and full of acceptance, which made them even more heartbreaking to watch.
I honestly think “My Love Letters” would be such a beautiful title for a future drama starring Ren Min and Winwin. The title itself already feels emotional, nostalgic, and romantic, which matches the kind of chemistry they showed in A Splendid Match. Their scenes together had this soft emotional tension that made even simple moments feel meaningful, so a drama centered around letters, hidden feelings, and emotional longing would suit them perfectly.
I can really imagine them in a republican-era enemies-to-lovers story with the title “My Love Letters.” Maybe they start as people who misunderstand or oppose each other because of family conflict or political differences, but slowly develop feelings through anonymous letters or messages they secretly exchange. Ren Min would fit the emotional and vulnerable scenes perfectly, while Winwin’s calm and gentle aura would make the romantic tension even stronger.
The drama could have themes of longing, sacrifice, healing, and slow-burn romance — the kind of story where emotions quietly grow over time instead of happening instantly. Both of them have visuals and acting styles that fit elegant and emotional storytelling very well, especially in historical or republican settings. And knowing how expressive Ren Min is in emotional scenes, especially crying scenes, combined with Winwin’s soft and melancholic acting style, I think they could create something truly memorable together as main leads someday.
Hopefully they really get another chance to collaborate again in the future because their chemistry honestly has so much potential.

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Weak Romance and Repetitive Pacing

Duan Hong’s longing for Wei Zi Fu was one of my favorite things about this drama, and honestly, his feelings for her felt more sincere and memorable than the main romance. Every scene with him carried this quiet heartbreak that made it easy to sympathize with his character. He constantly put the greater good of the country, the Emperor, and everyone else before himself, which made his sacrifices even sadder to watch. Even when he suffered, he rarely acted selfishly, and that made him far more compelling than a lot of the other characters in the palace. His storyline had emotional weight because you could feel how much he loved Wei Zi Fu while knowing it will never be him.

I’m a big fan of Raymond Lam and he was the main reason why I watched, so I ended up disappointed with how little depth his character was ultimately given. Despite Duan Hong being one of the most interesting people in the drama, the writing often reduced him to silently suffering for Wei Zi Fu over and over again without allowing him much growth outside of that. Emperor Wu also felt very one dimensional at times, which made the central romance weaker. I understood that the drama wanted to portray him as a complicated ruler, but he mostly came across as selfish, emotionally immature, and easily manipulated. It became frustrating watching him constantly distrust or mistreat the people around him while Wei Zi Fu endlessly forgave him and has shown loyalty time and time again.

I also felt the two leads lacked chemistry, which made it harder to stay emotionally invested in their relationship. For a drama built around this epic love story, I rarely felt genuine passion or emotional tension between them. Honestly, Xu Zheng Xi and Wang Luo Dan had way more chemistry together, and their scenes naturally felt more emotional and engaging. In comparison, many of the romantic moments between Wei Zi Fu and Emperor Wu felt flat despite all the screentime dedicated to them.

I really enjoyed Wei Qing and Princess Ping Yang together, though. Their relationship had chemistry, warmth, and a level of maturity that stood out compared to all the constant palace scheming. Their interactions felt natural and sincere, and they brought some much needed balance to the story whenever they appeared onscreen. I honestly found myself more invested in their relationship than the main couple.

That said, the drama dragged on way longer than it needed to. There was absolutely no reason for this story to be stretched into 47 episodes. So many scenes felt repetitive, especially with the endless misunderstandings, palace politics, and recycled conflicts that kept circling back to the same problems. It often felt like characters learned the same lessons repeatedly, only for the drama to create another misunderstanding a few episodes later.

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sweet, but needed more screentime

Overall: it was fun and cute, but it needed more time to focus on the relationship development. 6 episodes about 9 minutes each. Aired on Strongberry's YouTube page https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNd7BhdAz80qVJk7itfRXCdPNMTvPAVYd&si=HqUFijGa3bBUinWZ and GagaOOLala https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/7586/check-in-to-you-2026-e01

Content Warning: vomiting episode 1 around 7:45

What I Liked
- easy to understand premise
- opposite personalities
- actors did a fantastic job to switch to the other personality
- sweet moments

Room For Improvement
- most of the plot was them living in a different body, they needed more time to develop their relationship especially after they switched (because I kept thinking how odd it would be to be romantic with my own body...)

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A Delightful Vertical Drama to Turn Your Brain Off and Just Relax

This is a good little drama to unwind and turn your brain off. You shouldn't expect the quality of a full-length series from vertical dramas, but within its own segment, it is a very decent story. Logic is present, there are no confusing or overly tangled intrigues, and no heavy angst. The costumes are excellent, and the acting is honestly wonderful.

The plot is cliché—a modern girl ends up in a harem. Of course, she meets the Emperor without knowing who he is. Of course, he falls for her because she is "not like the other concubines." And of course, they get into a bunch of funny situations before they finally figure out the truth. By the way, they didn't drag this part out, and the leads figured out each other's identities relatively quickly.

There is a female rival, a third wheel for a love triangle, and the FL's superpowers that help her survive in the Cold Palace (I was especially impressed by the weather forecast and the scene where a eunuch begged her for a cold beer). It’s cliché after cliché. But I liked it, probably because of the actors—they are just so charming.

Li Hao looks solid and impressive as the Emperor. You look at him and honestly believe that such a charismatic man could rule an empire. The fact that he isn't very knowledgeable about palace life and doesn't visit his harem is just the screenwriters' whim, which doesn't spoil his image. By the way, his costumes are great, and he has a lot of them.

The female lead didn't impress me quite as much, but my bar for female characters in vertical dramas is lower anyway—as long as they aren't annoying. Well, Zhang Qi Xuan was not only not annoying, but she also fully fit the image of a modern, cheerful girl in a historical setting.

I also liked the actors in the minor roles, especially the chubby guard from whom the FL brushed off dust while eavesdropping on the officials' conversation. In general, all the actors in this drama felt real, attractive, and so sweet that it was a genuine pleasure to watch them.

There is no erotica or even real kisses here—it’s a different type of story. But it’s completely watchable; the ML’s charisma alone was enough to keep me glued to the screen.

The music and audio effects weren't distracting and didn't pull attention away from the story. This isn't always the case with these shows, so I wanted to note that fact.

I doubt I’ll rewatch it (does anyone actually rewatch vertical dramas?), but the 2.5 hours flew by unnoticed and with great pleasure.

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One of the Best Historical Dramas

Before you start, don't expect you're watching a drama like Pursuit of Jade, Story of Kunning or even Blossom where everything happens in the first episodes. It's a slow burn drama, so you need to watch every detail of it, from the dialogues to the eye contact of the characters. There are so much detail in this drama that if you miss them you won't feel what the characters want to convey to each other.
I loved the main leads and their romance journey and also the side characters. As for the villains, from all from all of them the most intelligent and cunning is the male lead's mentor, you even can feel how treacherous he's by the way he looks to everyone from the very first episode.

It's a great drama, and I would watch it again. ❤️

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Started watching it for aesthetics, but ended up falling for the characters!

Amazing cast, beautiful storyline and powerful screenplay.
Loved the acting, OSTs, dialogues, costumes and the overall direction. Never felt a single episode boring. The concept of having monarchy in Korea in modern world, where the Crown holds the most esteemed position, was something new and interesting. All characters are strong in their own way, loved the power balance between male and female characters of the drama. Besides ML and FL, I found their personal assistants' romantic arc equally cute. I enjoyed when they switched their masters after the royal wedding.
There was a good mix of humor and grief too. The fire at the palace, the horrors of power struggle, the family dynamics of FL's side, all added to the emotional depth of the characters. The love story of FL and ML will definitely give you butterflies and annoy you at the same time. There will be moments when you laugh and cry at the same time, witnessing the same emotions as the leads.
Our little Majesty definitely adds spark to the drama. His cute tantrums, attachment with his Uncle and Aunt, how he cries in arms of his mother towards the end, really melted my heart. The household crew of private residence of Grand Prince I-An, was another heartwarming bunch of people. I enjoyed watching the bonds grow, connections develop and the sincerity they held. How ML and FL always stuck together to each other during the chaos and dangers, even when their feelings were unconfirmed, really showed their courage and trust in each other.
This drama gave us some original romantic scenes (K-drama coded) and plenty of giggles! A must watch if you love royalty, court struggles, power couple trope, and IU!
<3

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Perfect Crown? More like Subpar Crown

Hate to break it to everyone but every most anticipated K-drama in 2026 ends up being a letdown. In the Perfect Crown, we’ve got the perfect cast (IU and Byeon Woo Seok) and a great director behind some of the most beloved K-dramas (Because this is my First Life, What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim, Alchemy of Souls) so what went wrong? How did this fairy tale love story go off track and ultimately go down the drain?

It’s 21st century and South Korea is still governed by a monarchy. Seong Hui Ju (IU) is beautiful, powerful and CEO of her own company. Despite having almost everything, she is determined to inherit her family’s company to prove to everyone she is not a mere illegitimate child. Grand Prince I-An (Byeon Woo Seok) is the second son of the King yet he didn’t ascend to the throne when his older brother died, his nephew did. On the surface, he seems to have everything – royal status, a palace and beloved public supporters – yet in truth he has nothing. To get what she wants, Hui Ju proposes marriage to Grand Prince Ian to raise her noble status. Will her plan succeed? Will love blossom along the way? And the greatest question of it all: will she survive the schemes and treachery in the palace?

There’s no doubt about IU’s versatility. She portrays Hui Ju with a blend of charming ruthlessness and conceit. She thinks highly of herself, yet she is still likeable. She may be harsh with words, but her actions remain free of violence. She’s the true definition of a marketing genius and she surely knows how to capture the public’s fancy. Despite her savage personality, she is still, at the end of the day, just an Asian daughter yearning for her father’s attention and hoping he will praise her. IU perfectly balances the contrast in Hui Ju’s character.

Byeon Woo Seok plays the role of a very handsome yet merely puppet-like royal. There is no denying he’s got the face card to embody a prince charming, but I was gravely disappointed to realize he is not truly fit to act the part. He fails to do justice to the role. So to all the fans of Woo Seok out there, feel free to skip my review and please don’t beat me up over criticizing his acting skills because these are just my observations. Also, I’m fairly sure Woo Seok can do so much better than this.

From the get-go, I noticed how Woo Seok barely displays any emotion. It got me thinking – is this a tactic? Is his guard always up because he does not want anyone to see him through? Does he not wish to appear vulnerable given that he’s always in the public eye? Episodes flew by and I’m still seeing the same unmoving, emotionless face. I don’t remember Woo Seok being this stiff in his past shows (20th Century Girl, Lovely Runner). His strength is his natural cadence and authenticity in portraying a high school first love and a loser in love. But here in Perfect Crown, he is as rigid and stilted as a statue. He's acting and moving as if he is in a commercial film (CF) that even his monologues lack conviction. No flicker of emotion crosses his face. He’s just standing there and modeling.

It's disappointing how he can't keep up with IU’s versatility in shifting seamlessly between her playful charm and girl-boss attitude. His presence is barely felt, much like that of a mannequin. His presence and gait don’t scream royalty to me. Not to mention his peculiar and head scratching choices of outfits. I know it's supposed to make him standout and eye-catching in a crowd but it’s doing the exact opposite. He looks like he’s trying so hard to be unique and he looks unkempt since all his suits are all loose and doesn’t highlight his spectacular height and shoulders. Poor acting combined with poor wardrobe choices only equate to an unmemorable character.

Moving on, the palpable chemistry between the leads is evident, thank God. Both Hui Ju and Grand Prince I-An are rule breakers, what a match-made in heaven. The story contains all the familiar tropes in a royal romance. How I wish they picked a lane and just went overboard with the romantic gestures and struggles in following royal protocols instead of making the existence of the monarchy a big deal. The conflict is the biggest weakness of this K-drama because it is baseless and literally comes out of nowhere. Not to mention how corny and predictable the plot twists are.

Prime Minister Min (Noh Sang Hyun) is a head-scratching character. He’s been friends with Hui Ju and Grand Prince I-An since high school. In true K-drama fashion, PM Min has a crush on Hui Ju and so does Grance Prince I-An and the love triangle ensues. Hence, it’s just natural that his heart gets crushed when Hui Ju proposes and marries Grand Prince I-An. He is so confusing and perplexing that I believe even the writer has a hard time thinking how he can magically transform PM Min to be the villain of the story. We also have another ambiguous villain – Lord Inpyeong, father of the Queen Mother. I knew he was hiding something and I was waiting for the grand reveal of his motivations and why he despises Grand Prince I-An so much. In the end, the answer was too weak for my liking, and I refuse to accept it because it is very uninspired.

To make the finale grand and explosive, Grand Prince I-An later ascended the throne and his first decree is to abolish monarchy. This is yet another puzzling narrative suddenly inserted into the story. The story failed to highlight why monarchy is no longer relevant in modern times. Grand Prince I-An’s decision to overthrow the monarchy does not resonate with me. It just didn’t strike a chord at all. Hui Ju experienced being designated to the end of the table, placed at the far back, and made last in line because of her lack of noble status, but that’s it. That is the extent to which Hui Ju suffered discrimination. How am I supposed to sympathize with her when she’s a privileged chaebol herself? Does her experience truly reflect oppression and prejudice that the Crown unintentionally creates? I don’t think so. I was never sold on the idea that the royal family needed freedom because it wasn’t established properly. Why should a romcom dive so deep into the philosophy and political science of monarchy when it could just have just been a feel-good, swoony K-drama?

Overall, the itchy and textured three-piece suits of Woo Seok and underdeveloped concept of monarchy’s relevancy make this show not worth a rewatch. Indeed, IU is the only saving grace of this show. She injects life and energy into every scene. If it weren’t for her skilled comedic timings and stylish outfits, this would have flopped so badly. It’s always a pity when a promising gist ends up becoming a subpar show. At the end of the day, Perfect Crown will likely scratch your K-drama itch for a modern royal romance. It has visually appealing cast, a modern royal setting, and a marriage for convenience but if you peel back this interesting setup, you'll find a K-drama that's uneven in tone and has weak writing.

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