Reviews

Watch it for the chemistry - Don't watch if you hate plot holes

Good things:
The main leads had great chemistry and made the most of the material they were given. The younger actors also delivered strong performances and were convincing in their roles. Several supporting characters had enough depth to feel like real people instead of being one-dimensional. The drama started off on a strong note. The story of the young couple learning that family isn't always defined by blood was heartfelt and engaging. Everything was working well until the major incident shifted the story.

What didn't work:
Unfortunately, poor editing and numerous plot holes in the second half undermined what had been a promising drama.

- If accounting audit teams have to go undercover and risk their lives investigating crimes, they might be in the wrong profession.
- Ms. He's and Chen Yi's sacrifice to protect the illegal ledger felt unnecessary. In the end, saving it had no meaningful impact on the story, making her death seem pointless.
- There's a scene where Tu Li meets with Ce Yen, but the audience never learns what they discussed or how it affected the plot. It felt like the editors forgot to remove an unfinished plot point.
- Too much screen time was spent on characters who added very little to the story, particularly the mother. The drama seemed to expect viewers to sympathize with her by the end, but it never earned that emotional payoff.
- Country Jin is repeatedly described as a dangerous and terrible place, yet the audit team later talks about vacationing there. The drama never clearly establishes what Country Jin is actually like or explains what Chen Yi did there beyond fighting, making the world-building feel inconsistent.

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This drama is seriously overrated.

This drama is seriously overrated. I don't understand why it's so highly praised. maybe for the teen generation

I agree with the reviewers who share the same opinion as me.

My biggest issue is the casting. On screen, the male lead comes across as younger than the female lead. I'm not talking about their real ages I'm talking about how they look and feel on screen. Since the story is supposed to portray the male lead as older and the female lead as younger, that dynamic just doesn't come across visually.

Because of that, the female lead's childlike behavior although it makes sense for her character, who is younger and dependent on those around her ends up feeling more cringe than believable. I think the pairing would have worked much better if she had been cast opposite a more mature-looking male lead. The casting simply doesn't fit the story.

Another thing that bothered me was how, the moment they found out they weren't related by blood, romantic feelings seemed to appear almost instantly. There was almost no time for emotional conflict or adjustment, which made that transition feel rushed and unconvincing. 

I noticed this in the very first episode, the moment the male lead made his entrance. Right away, it felt like the pairing was off for the concept the drama was trying to portray. By the end of the episode, there was already a hint of romance, but it just didn't work for me.

The first episode itself was hard to get through.

Well, I gave it one more episode, and the second episode still didn't convince me. Sometimes, you just shouldn't rely on ratings. This drama is genuinely overrated and overpraised.

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This got me back into Thai BL!

I actually really enjoyed **Khemjira**
It was such a refreshing change from the usual cookie cutter school BL dramas
I loved the ancient curse, paranormal, and spiritual elements—they made the story feel unique and kept me invested from beginning to end.

Another thing I really enjoyed was that I didn’t know most of the cast.
The only familiar faces for me were Net, Nammon, Mark, and Jab, who all appeared in guest or cameo roles.
Going in without knowing the main or supporting leads made the experience even better.

It’s been since **The Next Prince** that I’ve truly loved a Thai BL. For years they were my go-to, but I felt like they lost a bit of their spark for a while\. Recently, though, I’d been hearing that the newer dramas were getting really good again, so I decided to give them another chance.

First I watched **Love Upon a Time**, which completely won me over. Then I moved on to **Khemjira**

Two incredible dramas back-to-back! I’m so happy to see Thai BL finding its magic again, and I can’t wait to see what I watch next.

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I like the lovely fat couple a lot.

First, when I started watching this show, I had a negative feeling, because the female protagonist was the liar about her health, and a lot of negative stereotype about people with obesity. I do not like the way some people in the real world look down fat people. However, later, both fat characters got better role, and for me, I think both are very cute. And something I do not like about this show is that there are too many many scenes with cats. It's unnecessary. Without cats, the plot could be still the plot. There is no reason to add too many cat-related things into the story. I also saw the same actress holding cats in other shows too. In some show, she also wore a cat mask. Next time, I will avoid watching the show intensively about cats.

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The Xu Kai Rabbit Hole Started Here

Although it's been years since I watched Arsenal Military Academy, it's still one of my favorite Xu Kai dramas and one of the first titles I recommend to anyone exploring his work. Arsenal Military Academy revolves around the classic "woman disguised as a man" trope, yet it executes it surprisingly well. Bai Lu's portrayal of Xie Xiang is genuinely convincing, making it easy to believe why those around her never suspect her true identity.

Xu Kai absolutely shines as Gu Yanzhen. He perfectly captures the character's arrogant, playful, and reckless personality while gradually revealing an unexpectedly sweet side once he falls in love, making him incredibly endearing. Watching him slowly realize his feelings for Xie Xiang and awkwardly navigate falling in love is easily one of the drama's biggest highlights. Looking back, I can't blame fans for becoming obsessed with Xu Kai and Bai Lu. They complemented each other so well on screen that it was almost impossible not to ship them. Their chemistry wasn't forced, it simply clicked. And let's be honest, Xu Kai's visuals were absolutely unreal in this drama (!!!).

The story is entertaining, the military academy setting feels refreshing, the cross-dressing trope is executed well, and the chemistry between the leads is simply the icing on the cake.

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Better than I thought

TLDR: This is good :).

Has been looking for a good rom com for a long time and found this gem. Actually saw the trailer a while back and during that time I've watched How Dare You and really liked Wang Churan so wanted to give this a try. But at that time it wasn't released yet and tbh the trailer didn't really captivate me. Plus the ML and the cast is quite foreign to me so i eventually forgot about this.

Recently started to look for a good rom com again and finally decided to give this a try. And i am glad i did! It turned out to be the kind of rom com i like with a bit of fluffy-ness.

Story/plot: Probably nothing new and has probably been done many times. It's your typical ML and FL had misunderstandings from the beginning and somehow dislikes each other. But yet are forced to deal with each other daily and eventually become friends, and eventually falls in love.

I will say the bread and butter in this drama is the interactions and scenes between the ML and FL. But surrounding that is also a lot of plots, etc related to their work. Like the investments, etc. I've seen some people dislike it, but i personally didn't mind it.

Cast: It's my first time watching Tian Jian Ci. I usually have a hard time with unfamiliar faces in dramas. But i grew to really like him as i watched the drama. I see some people comment that he carried the drama with his acting, etc and i kind of agree. His acting was really good and a pleasure to watch. I really hope to see him in more dramas and roles like this.

For the supporting casts, tbh some of them was a bit annoying and hard to watch at the beginning, so i mostly skipped them. Especially scenes with Jun Cheng and Dang Yu. He was just a very annoying character in the beginning. But eventually he grew up and it was later quite pleasant to watch them.

Otherwise in general the other supporting casts are good and quite liked watching them. For example Yao Jing Jing and Lu Ze. And even Fang Yun and Liao Shi Yu.

Won't mention the FL since i liked her before i watched the show.

Rating: I will give this a solid 7.5. I will say i am giving this a bit of a lower score, not because it's not good, but because of different factors like story/plots, etc I don't think this deserves an 8+. But I will say this was a very pleasant watch and I would rather watch this than a lot of dramas rated 8+.

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BL innovativa tra crime e romance cupo, in difetto di tempo e con finale disastroso

L’originalità di questo drama coreano BL sta tutta nel tentativo di mescolare un thriller investigativo con un romance travagliato e oscuro, nella prima parte addirittura tossico. I due aspetti, intrecciati tra loro, costituiscono una premessa intrigante: due uomini legati da un omicidio avvenuto quindici anni prima si ritrovano a lavorare insieme come procuratore e investigatore, costretti a confrontarsi con segreti sepolti e verità scomode. La ciliegina sulla torta? Uno è il figlio della vittima e l’altro il figlio dell'assassino (presunto). Il primo è a conoscenza dell’identità dell’altro, il secondo no. Ed è su questo aspetto che il procuratore costruisce il suo singolare piano di vendetta. Una dinamica - almeno sulla carta - indubbiamente avvincente.

La vicenda si distingue fin da subito per il suo tono maturo e cupo, lontano dalle atmosfere leggere che spesso caratterizzano il genere ma in linea con l’ambientazione nella quale si svolge. Una coerenza di scelta sottolineata dalla fotografia suggestiva e dalla palette cromatica prevalentemente desaturata. Completano il tutto una colonna sonora avvolgente, capace di amplificare i momenti di tensione e un ritmo iniziale sostenuto.

A fare la differenza è però il cast: Kim Yoon Sik - nei panni del procuratore Ju Tae Seon - offre una performance magnetica e disturbante, passando dalla freddezza calcolatrice a scoppi di rabbia incontrollata con una naturalezza inquietante. Park Si Woo- nel ruolo dell'investigatore Lee Chae Ha - costruisce un personaggio più silenzioso ma altrettanto complesso, portando in scena un sopravvissuto che si piega ma non si spezza. Eccede forse nella passività, che rende poco credibile l’immagine di lui come ex poliziotto. La chimica tra i due protagonisti è notevole, soprattutto nelle interazioni cariche di una tensione che sembra oscillare continuamente tra desiderio e odio, costantemente in bilico tra la sete di vendetta e un’attrazione sempre più difficile da negare. Le scene intime, tutt’altro che romantiche, sono rappresentazioni crude ma mai volgari di quello che però non si può non definire un rapporto tossico, incentrato sulla brama di possesso, rabbia e il desiderio di controllo. E’ il ritratto di un rapporto complesso e senza edulcorazioni, per quanto malsano, dove l’intimità non è intesa come espressione di romanticismo ma come un vero e proprio campo di battaglia emotivo.

E arriviamo alle note dolenti, che sono sostanzialmente due, ma di dimensioni cosmiche: La durata e lo scempio degli ultimi due episodi.
Il tempo è troppo poco, inutile girarci intorno. Dieci episodi da meno di mezz’ora l’uno non possono proprio essere sufficienti a sviluppare per bene l’idea originale alla base del drama. Si è cercato di smarcarsi dalle BL coreane da manuale, ma era il caso anche di uscire dalle solite durate eccessivamente ridotte, altrimenti l’insieme non può funzionare. Se nella prima parte l’unico passaggio un po’ troppo precipitoso è l’innesco della relazione fisica tra due, sul finale ci si trova a premere forzatamente l’acceleratore, senza lasciare margine di sviluppo né al thriller né al romance. Ne consegue un vero e proprio disastro narrativo, che demolisce in modo affrettato e confusionario ciò che era stato costruito con cura per otto episodi. La rivelazione dell’identità di Tae Seon porta a un cambiamento del suo personaggio tanto repentino quanto imbarazzante: le carte sono state scoperte, ma non per questo deve diventare irriconoscibile, trasformandosi in un salice piangente tutto confessioni, scuse e stucchevolezze. Anni di risentimento sembrano dissolversi in poche scene, una transizione dall’odio all’amore praticamente fulminea. C’è davvero da impegnarsi non poco per massacrare così il personaggio più intrigante della serie. A tutto ciò si aggiunge un ricorso alla CGI sul finale che è semplicemente imbarazzante e che culmina con la scena finale sulla spiaggia – fuori luogo ed esageratamente finta -stravolgendo in modo davvero ignobile l’intera ambientazione. Se il romance chiude in modo assurdo, il thriller non chiude affatto, nel senso che tante domande non trovano vere e proprie risposte (cosa succede al vero colpevole? E al padre di Chae Ha?). La mancanza di tempo rende di fatto impossibile anche il lavoro sui – già pochi – personaggi secondari, che a livello di introspezione restano proprio fermi ai blocchi di partenza.

In conclusione: una bella premessa, la promessa di qualcosa di nuovo, un mezzo risultato e un epilogo da dimenticare. I primi due terzi della serie volano alto, il finale è davvero deludente. Con questa consapevolezza, la visione può comunque starci. Diciamo che la chimica tra i due protagonisti, l'interpretazione di Kim Yoon Sik e l’approccio innovativo per il genere valgono il prezzo del biglietto, ma l'opera nel suo insieme è anche un’occasione sprecata, tanto rovinata nell’ultima parte da lasciare l’amaro in bocca.

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Gender swap ML and FL

It's not new for me to watch the female protagonist in time-traveling plot, but it is very new and very interesting that the male protagonist is the one who pretended to be someone else. I like it. It's gender swapping, compared to other shows I used to watch. Those shows, consist of the female protagonists who pretended to be someone to achieve her goal, and with which, these female characters had to lie a lot for whole story. I do not like the idea that the authors try to link women with lying. It's different from women in real world. And media should not reinforce this link to their audiences. Women should not be viewed as the liar. This is the reason that I like this show. The male protagonist took the role instead of the female one.

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La importancia de ser honesto con uno mismo

Tres historias y tres formas distintas de entender las relaciones de pareja. Cada vez me doy más cuenta de que, en muchos k-dramas, aunque la premisa pueda parecer infantil o incluso un poco absurda al principio, terminan enganchándote por la profundidad de las reflexiones que esconden.

En este caso, me quedo especialmente con la química de los actores protagonistas y con la idea de "ser honesto con uno mismo", un mensaje que atraviesa toda la serie y que invita a reflexionar sobre el amor, las expectativas y la forma en que vivimos nuestra propia vida.

Es una serie que me fue conquistando poco a poco y que disfruté cada vez más a medida que avanzaban los capítulos.

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The Prosecutor is intense

They successfully delivered both justice through its storyline and intimacy through its romance. With its mystery-crime BL concept, the drama carries a heavy and intense atmosphere, and the performances of the main characters elevated that feeling even more.

Ju Tae Seon started as a bully, but as the story progressed, he revealed himself to be a genuinely caring partner. Kim Yoon Sik completely captivated me with this role because it’s the complete opposite of his personality in real life.

On the other hand, Lee Chae Ha was unfortunately the victim of constant bullying from his peers. As an adult, I honestly don’t understand why people continue to bully others as if they never grew out of a childish mindset. Workplace bullying is especially frustrating to watch.

What made the story even more interesting was how the couple’s lives were connected through their fathers. One was killed, and the other became the prime suspect. It was such a messy situation, but it also became one of the strongest and most compelling parts of the drama.

The sexual tension between them was incredible, and they really took the intimate scene to another level. Especially the bathroom scene that completely shocked and gagged me.

I have to admit that crime and mystery stories aren’t really my cup of tea, so I wasn’t always fully focused on every case. Still, I had already guessed that the cute and bubbly Song Ha Neul would end up being the villain. He’s still handsome and adorable in real life, though, so he still wins in my book. I liked how the ending tied all of the crimes together and finally brought everything to a satisfying conclusion. The only aspect I wasn’t a fan of was the use of AI.

Overall, the chemistry was definitely giving, and the dynamic between the sassy prosecutor and his obedient inspector made them incredibly fun to watch. Combined with mystery and emotional backstory, made this a memorable BL drama despite a few elements that weren’t entirely my taste.

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Chemistry Above the Clouds

Count me among the people who genuinely enjoyed this drama. I completely understand the hype surrounding this drama and can honestly see why so many people love it. From the very beginning, Lu Yu Xiao steals the spotlight with a character that's effortlessly charming, playful, and flirtatious (arguably one of the roles that suits her best). Her bright, mischievous personality makes the character incredibly lovable and impossible not to root for.

As someone who rarely enjoys xianxia, I was surprised by how much I loved this drama. The romance takes center stage, making the fantasy elements easy to follow. If you're here for romance, you won't be disappointed. Hao Ming Hao and Lu Yu Xiao share sizzling chemistry that elevates the classic fake marriage-to-lovers trope, making every flirtatious exchange and emotional moment a joy to watch. What I enjoyed most wasn't just the romance, but the dynamic between the two leads. Their banter is witty, their chemistry is sizzling, and watching their relationship gradually evolve made every episode engaging. I also loved Ming Xian's adorable bond with her pet, along with the constant tension created by her hidden identities. Since the main leads are originally equally powerful, their enemies-to-lovers dynamic feels refreshing, with neither one constantly needing to be saved by the other.

The overarching plot—centered around the competition for the title of champion and the pursuit of the Golden Millet Dream—is admittedly simple and occasionally borders on being childish. But somehow, none of that really matters when the romance is this entertaining. You don't have to be a xianxia fan to enjoy Love in the Clouds. If you're looking for a romance with lovable leads and fantastic chemistry, this drama is an easy recommendation.

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LINDA HISTÓRIA

Decidi assistir a esse C-drama pelo trailer e pela atriz principal e não me arrependi.

Vale destacar que a história é lenta e bem construída. Nos primeiros episódios conta a história da protagonista feminina (Nie Xi Guang) e seus amigos de escola/faculdade, dando enfoque na sua relação, não correspondida, com Zhuang Xu. Os demais episódios trata da vida de Nie Xi Guang já no trabalho e sua relação com Lin Yu Sen.

Achei a personagem do Zhuang Xu frio e distante. Na minha opinião ele perdeu um mulher incrível por vacilo. Depois que ele notou que tinha cometido um erro, tentou correr atrás da Xi Guang. Neste ponto, teve um das cenas mais fortes da série, quando ela deixa claro para ele que não tem como eles terem algum tipo de relacionamento. Ela deu um basta na esperança dele. Na minha opinião, foi uma decisão acertada, nada daquele velho clichê de triângulo amoroso interminável. Gostei muito da atitude dela, muito madura e sensata.

Quanto a relação da Xi Guang com Lin Yu Sen, apesar do mal-entendido inicial entre eles, a relação foi construída ao poucos e ao longo do tempo de forma segura e consistente. Não se vê, em momento algum, aquelas piadinhas de mal gosto que os autores gostam de fazer, desmerecendo um ou outro no relacionamento. Notei um relacionamento saudável, cheio de carinho e momentos românticos que valem a pena assistir.

Você pode ver o crescimento da personagem Xi Guang e sua atitude sempre sincera em relação aos seus sentimentos. Foi gratificante assistir como ela se apaixonou pelo Lin Yu Sen e como um trata o outro. A relação deles exala paixão e, acima de tudo, respeito. Faz tempo que não assisto uma série assim, memorável.

Outro ponto que gostei neste C-drama foi a ausência do rompimento do casal principal (clichê quase obrigatório e adorado pelos escritores). Se o relacionamento é maduro e saudável, não há espaço para esse tipo de clichê.

Para os admiradores de um romance doce e agradável, este drama é uma boa pedida.

Com certeza tem grande potencial para assistir novamente.

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Una serie vacía, sobrevalorada y sostenida casi por completo por la cara de Zhang Linghe

Valoración: 4/10
He intentado ver The Best Thing dos veces. La primera la abandoné porque me aburría. La segunda he conseguido llegar hasta el episodio 11 y puedo afirmar, ya sin ninguna duda, que no era falta de paciencia: la serie es tediosa, inerte y narrativamente hueca.
Se vende como un romance tranquilo y de combustión lenta, pero no es ninguna de las dos cosas. La tranquilidad no consiste en eliminar la personalidad, el conflicto, la tensión y el ritmo; y un slow burn exige que exista algo ardiendo, aunque sea bajo la superficie. Aquí no arde nada. Ni deseo, ni curiosidad, ni fricción, ni intimidad emocional. Solo hay dos personas atractivas coincidiendo una y otra vez mientras la fotografía, la música y las miradas alargadas intentan fabricar una emoción que el guion no ha sabido construir.
La narración parece una receta de cocina interminable: ahora ella se levanta, ahora va al trabajo, ahora visita la clínica, ahora se encuentra con él, ahora comen algo, ahora alguien comenta lo guapos que son. Las escenas no generan consecuencias, no cambian la relación y no revelan nada importante sobre los personajes. Se puede ver la serie mientras se hacen otras veinte cosas porque no exige atención alguna. No hay nada que comprender, anticipar ni recordar.
La protagonista es desesperante. Comprendo que esté deprimida, que padezca insomnio y que venga de una relación tóxica, pero el guion utiliza todo eso como excusa para convertirla en una mujer sin energía, iniciativa, carácter ni vida interior. No parece una persona tranquila, sino un cuerpo que se desplaza lentamente de una escena a otra. Apenas reacciona, tarda una eternidad en comprender lo evidente y carece de la menor fuerza dramática. La depresión no borra necesariamente la inteligencia, la rabia, el humor o la voluntad, pero esta serie parece creer que una mujer vulnerable debe comportarse como si estuviera sedada.
El supuesto protagonista masculino perfecto me resulta todavía más cuestionable. Ella es su paciente, se encuentra en un momento emocionalmente frágil y él dispone de información íntima obtenida dentro de una relación médica. Aun así, empieza a tantearla desde el principio, utiliza la medicina como vía para acercarse y se introduce progresivamente en su vida mientras continúa tratándola. La serie pretende venderlo como una green flag porque es guapo, habla con suavidad, cuida a los mayores y prepara remedios, pero la amabilidad no elimina el abuso de una posición privilegiada ni convierte en limpio un cortejo que nace dentro de una relación profesional desigual.
La supuesta amistad entre ambos tampoco es una amistad auténtica. Él ya está interesado sentimentalmente y emplea esa cercanía para ganar espacio mientras ella ni siquiera comprende sus intenciones. El amor no nace de una relación desinteresada que evoluciona: él inicia el vínculo con una finalidad romántica desde el comienzo y aprovecha todas las oportunidades que le proporciona ser su médico, vecino y confidente. Que después ella termine correspondiéndole no borra el modo en que se ha construido la relación.
Tampoco existe una razón convincente para que él se enamore de ella. Le parece bonita. Eso es todo. La serie repite constantemente que ella es preciosa y que él es tan atractivo que medio vecindario quiere presentarle a alguna pariente, como si la belleza de los actores pudiera sustituir la escritura del guion. No hay descubrimiento mutuo, admiración fundada, complicidad, desafío ni transformación. El guion no desarrolla el vínculo: se limita a declarar que existe y espera que el espectador lo crea porque Zhang Linghe mira intensamente a cámara.
El personaje de él también está construido con piezas prefabricadas: médico ejemplar, especialista entregado, madre muerta de cáncer, padre ausente, abuelo cariñoso, carácter sereno y rostro extraordinario. Todo está diseñado para fabricar al novio ideal sin concederle contradicciones reales ni obligarlo a examinar su conducta. Su pasado no añade profundidad; simplemente completa una ficha de personaje pensada para despertar admiración automática.
La serie es bonita, sí. Está bien iluminada, los protagonistas son atractivos y la medicina tradicional china proporciona una estética agradable. Pero una serie no es buena porque parezca un anuncio caro de té y flores con hombres perfectos. La belleza visual no compensa veintiocho episodios sin pulso, una protagonista sin sangre, un romance sin evolución y un conflicto ético que el guion ni siquiera es capaz de reconocer.
Entiendo que las admiradoras de Zhang Linghe disfruten contemplándolo durante horas. Lo que no entiendo es que eso se confunda con calidad narrativa. Si otro actor menos atractivo interpretara exactamente este mismo guion, probablemente nadie estaría hablando de una historia profunda, madura o reconfortante. Estaríamos hablando de lo que realmente es: una sucesión de escenas vacías embellecidas por una producción cuidada.
Le doy un 4 porque no está mal rodada y porque los actores hacen lo que pueden con un material muerto. No le doy un 1 porque existe cierto nivel técnico y visual. Pero como romance, como drama y como historia de personajes, me ha parecido un fracaso absoluto. No es delicada, no es profunda y no es lenta: es simplemente aburrida.

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